The Boy From Hueco Mundo
by Riza Winters
Summary: Hueco Mundo is a mysterious place, especially when everyone living in it has lost their memories. 10 months ago something happened, and it left one white haired boy trapped in a nightmare, and one King bearing a 6 tatoo desperate to find answers.
1. Chapter 1

Sand coated half the boy's face, almost completely concealing the layer of crimson beneath. He blinked dirt out of his eyes and felt the grit in his teeth, but still struggled to push himself out of dessert that gave way beneath his fingers.

"He's finally done." A vastal lordes laughed as he idly swung the club in his hand that had done most of the damage to the white haired child.

"He sure made us work hard though," another laughed, licking the blood from his claws. He put a foot on the boy and rolled him over. Most of his small body was covered in blood, and if it wasn't, it was soaked in sweat, and everything was layered in sand. Tremors wracked him beyond his control but his eyes locked on them with a death glare.

"After all this time hunting him, we still never found out who he was." the first said as he prepared his club for the final blow.

"You're joking right." his companion said. "None of us know who were are."

"True. But he's different. He's not hollow."

"Impossible. What else could there be?"

The club pressed against the boy's chest, hard, and he wheezed in pain, blood spurting out his lips. "I don't know, but he's definitely something else. But I suppose," he said as he lifted the club high in the air, "now it doesn't matter anyway."

The club fell, but instead of the feeling of soft bones and flesh bending beneath it, he struck something solid, something unyielding.

"Shit!" the companion said before a blade was through his throat. But the vastal lordes holding the club ignored sputtering death of his companion to stare wide eyed at the arrancar before him.

"You're from the palace."

"Yes." he answered back cooly.

"But you arrancar never come out this way, its beyond their boarders. Why?"

"Nothing is beyond our boarders. And as for why, the King expressed interest in this one."

"What? Why?"

"Because, he is not of this world." the arrancar dislodged his sword and the next second, the vastal lordes was dead. He wiped his sword clean while his partner lifted the boy's limp form out of the sand.

"He won't last long."

"Hurry, the King is waiting."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you must be Toshiro." The boy's eyes fluttered open. He'd fallen unconscious almost the moment he's been picked up. Now he felt cool tile beneath his swollen cheek. He tried to get up but his muscles weren't responding so he just lay there, watching the pacing feet of the man he assumed to be the Hollow King.

"Though I don't know how they know your name, no one's ever heard you speak in the months they've been chasing you in the Gillion Forest." the feet came to stop before him and the voice suddenly turned authoritative. "You are dismissed." Toshiro felt the vibrations and heard the closing of a door: they were alone.

"I don't suppose you remember anything do you? About the time before? No one does of course but since you're clearly not from this world, I thought you might. Still, I won't find out anything from you if you're dead will I?" he felt hands on his shoulder and was gently rolled onto his back. Mostly what he saw was a blur, but he did make out a sharp jawline and a shock of blue hair. "You really are just a kid, huh? Well don't worry, you're in Las Noches now, you don't have to run, anymore."

The teal orbs fixed him with a questioning look at these surprisingly welcoming words, but soon a haze overcame them and once again darkness took him.

* * *

The next time Toshiro woke he was not in sand, nor on stone, but in a soft and comfortable bed. Instantly he tensed, as memories of a long battle in the Gillion forest and eventually out on the sands of the dessert flashed through his mind. His muscles screamed against the movement and he let slip a small cry of pain.

"Get the king." someone said but he couldn't see, the room was becoming hazy again.

* * *

"Kid? You with us?" Toshiro's eyes cleared, he had no sense of how much time had passed but he could see that the king was now in the room. He did not speak but his wide eyes focussed on the face above him. A broad grin greeted them.

"He's awake!" The king announced the obvious. "Get some food, would ya." He ordered the other arrancar in the room. When they were gone, the king turned his attention back to boy.

"Yeah, I wouldn't try to move around too much yet, you've been out for a week. Lost a lot of blood, but the healers took care of ya." Toshiro stared back at him with the obvious question in mind. The king just ginned again, understanding.

"Why I am doing this ? Because you're interesting. You've survived out there on your own all this time, you are the only one like you in this dimension, and, after all the stories of how you miraculously escaped or defeated all those vastal lordes out there, I've decided I like you. So relax, this is your new home."

He spread his hands wide to indicate the palace and waited to see what the boy would do. When the boy just stare back at him he sighed. "Look kid, we're more civilized here, we ain't like those hollows in the forest. You could be one of us easily, except you're missing two main things:" he pulled open his white and black trimmed jacket, "a hollow hole and," he raised a hand to his face and traced the edge of the bone jaw that rested on top of his cheek, "a hollow mask."

The king sat on the edge of the bed, of which the boy's small body barely took up any space at all.

"My name is Grimmjow. And I am the King of the hollows. You're Toshiro right?" the boy watched him carefully before nodding. "Well Toshiro, when you're better, I'm going to take you somewhere I bet you didn't even know existed. It's a world, huge, with beings called humans. They look just like you except they've got no spiritual pressure. I think we might get some answers there." He looked out the window for a second before turning back to Toshiro.

"_Do _you remember anything?"

Toshiro shook his head.

"Nah, didn't think so. If you did, I doubt you'd still be here. Once you see this other world, you'll understand why. But whatever did happen to us all, I'm certain you can help me figure it out. But for now, eat up, and get better." The king rose and the door opened, arrancar servants filing in with food and water. They bowed to their king and he left.

* * *

Several days passed in which the boy continued to recover and regain his strength. He was frequently visited by the king, who talked away to him while he listened in silence. On the fifth day, the king entered to find him standing, staring out the window.

"You're up!"

The boy turned and faced him. More colour was in his cheeks, the last bruises were almost gone. The last sign of his worst injuries was a broken arm which still hung in a sling about his neck but would rapidly heal as his spiritual pressure grew stronger and stronger.

"Up for a walk?" The boy nodded and followed the king out into the hall, down the many corridors until they came to a chamber high up and in the centre of the palace. It was small, furnished more elaborately than the other rooms and filled with books and ledgers. Toshiro was panting slightly after the longest walk he'd taken in days and the king indicated he sit in the large chair next to a desk in the room.

"Can you read?" Grimmjow asked when the boy was seated. The teal eyes actually looked confused by this question, as if the boy didn't actually know. Then he laughed out loud as he realized. "Sorry, I suppose there wouldn't have been much for you to read out in Gillion Forest. Here."

He pulled a book out of one of the shelves and set it on the desk before the boy, opening it to the first page. It was a printed text, smooth, but clearly well read. Toshiro touched the pages reverently, and knew that who ever he was, books were a big part of his life, and he liked it. He hadn't even noticed the smile that had spread over his normally solemn features.

"I take that as a yes." Grimmjow said chuckling. The boy didn't look up as he read the fine script: _A History of the Soul Society._ He didn't know what a Soul Society was but he was determined to find out but a hand covered the page and he looked up questioningly.

"You can read that later if you want, I already have, along with many others, but there is another book I want to discuss with you first."

The boy looked intrigued and closed the book on the desk. Grimmjow handed him another, this one, hand written. The passages were brief, but it was clearly the journal of someone's thoughts, though irregular. Its was more like notes, occasionally expressing some frustration or emotion but mostly lists of names, jotted strategies and thoughts as they occurred to the writer.

"His name is not given, but I am sure he was the ruler of this place before." Grimmjow sat on the low couch adjacent to the desk and Toshiro turned in his seat to face him. "Obviously I have not told the others this but, you can keep a secret right?"

Toshiro stared back and Grimmjow sighed.

"_Do_ you talk?" He asked finally, the white haired boy eyed him for a moment before opening his mouth.

"Yes."

Grimmjow smiled. "Good. So, will you keep my secret?"

"Yes."

"Alright then. There is a list in there, with ten names on it." Toshiro flipped to the page in question. He read the names but only saw one he knew. "See." Grimmjow shifted on the couch to one side and pulled up his jacket. In the small of his back was a number six, corresponding to his position on the list.

"It was an army, of espada. I was one of ten that ruled here, under this guy. Its short, but tells more than I want anyone else to know."

"Why?" the boy asked, and again, Grimmjow understood.

"For one thing, I trust you because you need me. If you told anyone, I'd be out of favour and the others would definitely have no reason to keep taking care of you. But mostly, its like I said before, I think you can help me figure out what happened, and if there is one thing that drives us all, its finding out what happened to all of us ten months ago. Why we all woke up with no idea who we were except a name, if you were lucky, and hardly any clue about anything. We can talk, we know some of us have powers, we know what to eat but we don't know anything about the world beyond here, even though we've clearly been there before."

The boy glanced up from the book at this. "This guy is from another world, this Soul Society place, but he makes references of us, the espada, going into a third world, "the World of the Living." I've been there, but I don't recognize it, like everything else. Then he talks about here. This is Heuco Mundo and this palace is Las Noches. When we all woke up, there was immediately division between the hollows within and the hollows without, as I'm sure you already figured out. Anyway, none of the others on that list are alive anymore, and I found out pretty quick that I was the most powerful here. Still, I don't want them knowing it wasn't always that way."

The boy turned back to the journal and the king stood. "I'll leave you with it, we'll talk when you're caught up."

He left the silent room, the boy already deep into his reading.

...

Grimmjow came back late that night to find the boy asleep with his head drooped forward and the book still in his hands. He had been as honest as he could be with the boy. There was no doubting, he was a Soul Reaper. He had read his description in one of the books he'd decided to keep secret. The captain of one of the squads, incredibly powerful.

Technically, they were enemies, but none of that really mattered now, did it? Grimmjow sighed and reached down to shake the boy awake. He murmured something but did not open his eyes. Exhausted. Grimmjow reached down and picked him up. He was cold, something he'd noticed about the boy as he healed more. In fact, he knew ice was the basis of his power, and he suspected the he would heal faster if he didn't release so much energy while he was asleep, it seemed he hadn't learned how to control it completely in those last months. And he didn't seem to have his zampakuto anymore.

Grimmjow carried him out of the room, sure to lock it, and back to Toshiro's quarters. He walked down the silent halls, feeling the faint beating of the boy's heart against his chest, a feeling he himself never knew. It bothered him, deeply, almost as much as the report he'd read about himself.

The previous ruler had kept descriptions of each espada, and each seemed to have been consumed or perhaps controlled by one dominant emotion. And his was rage. But since the ten months, he hadn't felt anger beyond any normal levels. He understood every other trait listed: aversion to authority, desire for power, subtle intelligence, and a warrior through and through. But always the anger, the overwhelming, irrational anger was referenced again and again and Grimmjow couldn't help but wonder that, if he wasn't like that now, what could possibly have happened to make him like that? Was it possible that the simple absence of that muscle in his chest was all it took to push him that far?

He wanted to know this almost as much as he wanted to know what had happened to all of them. He also wanted to know if it had happened to the Soul Reapers as well. The Humans were unaffected, as far as he could tell. And if this kid was as smart as his description said, he was sure he could help figure it out.

But when Grimmjow lay him down on the bed, he couldn't see anything past the image of a child, and, in the moonlight, his white hair glistening, an innocent one who had suffered greatly in the ten months since the memory loss. Compassion was not something written under the list of traits associated with Grimmjow, nor would he ever have admitted it being a trait. He felt it so rarely that he couldn't be sure that was even what he was feeling, but he felt something for this boy. Even if he didn't speak, he was the most intelligent person in the whole palace, and when he was done healing he would be the most powerful.

Grimmjow was tired of the other arrancar, even if they carried out his whims. He didn't really have much for them to do anyway, he just wanted to keep them in line in case he ever did need an army. He sighed again and watched the shadow of movement on the surface of Toshiro's eye lids, and wondered what he was dreaming. Dreams were, as many had discovered, the only way to access those forgotten times, but were always so fleeting, so unclear and so quickly forgotten. But most could hold onto a name they hoped was theirs, or a hint to what their powers had been or the name of their zampakuto.

"Pantera." He whispered, resting his hand on the hilt of his katana affectionately. He had quickly reestablished a connection with his Zampakuto, and rediscovered his powers, though not the release form yet. But there was nothing to fight in the endless desert anyway, nothing to do but sit in his palace. And that was why he would risk taking the boy to the human world. That's why all he cared about was finding answers.

* * *

_**So, I realize the first chapter was super short, but I just got started on this one and wanted to see if there was any interest. If you have read any of my other stories, I am sure you will recognize the same trends and themes: mostly a Toshiro/Grimmjow friendship and, one of my favourites, memroy loss! I do love that one since it lets me be a little more liberal with characters. Anyway, if you liked my other stories with these themes, perhaps you will like this one too, though I am still unsure as to where it will go exactly. Anyway, hope you like it, please review and feel free to tell me where you would like this to go! Thanks,**_

**_Riza._**


	3. Chapter 3

Toshiro woke late the next day, but this time instead of being warm and cozy he was wet and shivering. His head was pounding and he felt congested. He looked around confused but saw he was in fact in his room, but the bed was soaked and in some places, actually frozen.

It had never gone this far before.

"Good morning kid, or should I say good after– what happened?" The king came to the bed and put a hand on the sheets. "Crap kid, this is getting out of hand." The boy raised an eyebrow even as his teeth began to chatter.

"This cold thing...while you've been getting better the healers noticed your body gets really cold as you sleep. It probably is right now." he raised his hand to the boy's head but immediately his expression changed. He leaned down and picked up the boy and carried him out of the room.

"What is it?" Toshiro asked softly, his head resting against Grimmjow's collarbone and his eyelids feeling heavy.

"You're burning up. Must have gotten sick laying in that cold all night. I shoulda thought of that."

"Why do you care?"

"I've already told ya kid."

"No, you haven't."

It was the most the boy had spoken but it was no comfort. He was a perceptive little bugger.

"I told you, you're interesting."

"That's not it."

"Well you try living with these half evolved arrancars for nearly a year and see how you like it."

"...ah, so you're lonely."

"Shut up." Grimmjow glowered, he didn't like hearing the truth, he preferred to keep that barrier of arrogance and nonchalance, but then he felt the weight of Toshiro's head increase and looked down. "Toshiro?" no response. "Shit." he began to run toward the healing room.

Grimmjow set the light body down on the table and stepped back to let the healers close.

It was a couple of days before Toshiro came fully around. In the brief times he had woken, he's babbled strange things about an ice dragon name Hyorinmaru, a woman named Rangiku, and a boy, Ichigo... Grimmjow new each of the names, they were all described in the logs of the original king. The last name resonated with him. It had been mentioned in his own profile. "An unhealthy obsession with defeating the substitute Soul Reaper: Ichigo Kurosaki." Grimmjow didn't really understand what a substitute soul reaper was, but the description of Kurosaki said he was human. He was the first person he planned to find when they made it to the human world. But that trip would have to wait.

The king did not speak of leaving Heuco Mundo for some time after the boy woke completely. Now that the fever had passed, he'd gone back to his usual quiet self. Grimmjow continued to visit him, but the conversations were different, unimportant, not focussed on answers like before.

"You were worried." Toshiro said one day, when he was back on his feet. The sickness had been like a severe flu. For two days it had kept him almost completely under and for several days after that, it had made him violently sick to his stomach. When it had passed, he was ten pounds lighter, which was significant on his small frame, and he was too weak to move about much. The frosts had not bothered him at all in this time, his body clearly had no energy left to manifest it. But now he stood steadily before the king, and watched his face carefully, reading each emotion, gauging the honesty of his response.

Grimmjow knew what he was doing, those eyes were so clever, always taking in their surroundings, and every detail of the person they held in their gaze. It was a challenge he felt he needed to meet, so he responded evenly, trying to control every muscle in his face to reveal nothing. "Its time I teach you how to control that spiritual pressure."

The boy lost all concentration at this response and responded with a confused stare.

"The power everyone has inside them, its called spiritual pressure, and yours must be related to ice or water or something. You aren't supposed to let it just leak out all the time, so I'll show you."

This seemed to be acceptable, the boy nodded, and they made their way to another room.

This was their focus for the next little while. Toshiro read away at the books in the secret chamber and took lessons from Grimmjow each day. In a matter of weeks he'd mastered his power and had even begun to spar with the king. Their battles were sometimes long and exhausting, sometimes short and intense, but equally as exhausting, and their outcome was varied.

For the first week, it was always Grimmjow who won, but then Toshiro learned how to mix in some of what he'd learned with his powers with his fighting skills and had flattened Grimmjow with a chunk of ice to the side of the head. They'd also been practising sodino, a technique only Grimmjow a one or two others seemed capable of among the arrancars. None of them had recovered their powers to the extent Grimmjow had. The king brushed it aside as a question of evolution but Toshiro was not so sure. As usual though, he said nothing,

By the time talk finally did come back around to leaving Heuco Mundo, two months had passed since Toshiro's arrival to the palace. He was settled in, he like the King, he even looked up to him, though he also felt the need for Grimmjow to respect him back. He guessed that feeling had come from their competitive sparring matches but he felt an odd sense it was something more. He was a child, it was physically clear, and though Grimmjow talked to him like an equal, he unconsciously treated him as a child, the way he looked out for him, told him he was staying up too late, made sure he was feeling alright...but something didn't quite sit right with Toshiro. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was older than he looked.

And he had quickly figured out Grimmjow. He was cocky and bold and proud, but he was desperately lonely. After two months, Toshiro understood why. The intellectual gap between Grimmjow and the other arrancars was significant not to mention the gap in strength. And those outside the palace were far too afraid to ever come near, or to challenge those on the inside.

There was nothing for Grimmjow to do, he was the ruler, but what he ruled was a waste-land of half-wits and sand. Toshiro knew he had become important in the king's life, and even if it had began out of loneliness and curiosity, they had, without a doubt, become friends. Which would make it all the harder when the truth came out. Toshiro didn't know who he was, but after reading on the history of the Soul Society, he had no doubt he was a Soul Reaper, and he knew Grimmjow had already figured that much out, even if he wouldn't say. While they both wanted answers, it was inevitable that in their search they would discover some unpleasant things.

Things changed one day after a sparring match. Toshiro was headed back to his room, dead on his feet. He'd expended more energy than he ever had in battle. When he'd nearly fainted, Grimmjow called off the fight, but he had been just as exhausted from blasting away Toshiro's ice attacks which, even without his zampakuto, were becoming more elaborate and harder to defeat. So while Grimmjow stayed behind to dig his zampakuto out of a pillar of ice, he sent Toshiro to rest in his room.

On his way back, he ran into a cohort of arrancars. Toshiro knew them well, it was not the first time he'd encountered them, though he never mentioned this to the king. They distinctly disliked his presence in the palace. They had never acted, since they knew he was powerful, but today when he literally stumbled straight into them, they knew he would stand no chance.

"You don't belong here." one growled, his hand fisted in Toshiro's shirt front and he held him up against the wall a few inches of the ground. Toshiro's tired eyes found his, showing neither panic nor fear. The other growled at the arrogance and pulled the boy forward so he could slam him back into the wall hard. Toshiro felt hot liquid trail down the back of his neck and knew he had split his head open.

"You've stolen all the King's attention. You don't deserve it, you're not even a hollow." a female arrancar spat and slapped him hard. Another cackled and also landed a blow.

Toshiro spit blood and though his vision swam he kept up his silent, fearless stare. It only enraged them more. He felt one more ear-ringing blow to the side of his face before an explosion rocked the room. He was suddenly on the floor, smelling charred flesh and feeling a heat on his skin that told him he barely missed being seared.

"K-king Grimmjow..." one survivor spoke up, "please forgive us!" it was the woman. Toshiro caught the absolute panic in her eyes.

"No chance Lolly!" Grimmjow actually ginned as he raised his hand for a second cero.

"Grimmjow..." Toshiro tried to speak up but he was finding it hard to catch his breath.

"No please!" the woman cried.

"Shut Up!" The light in his palm was at its climax. The woman trembled and sobbed.

"Grimmjow, don't." but Grimmjow was lost in a rage, lost in the lust to see this woman die. She fell, not much more than a lump of smoking black flesh. Grimmjow used his bare hands to kill the last. When he was done, he stood blood splattered, and breathing hard, staring at the destruction. His hands shook and his eyes seemed unfocussed.

"Grimmjow?" The man flinched at the voice, he had been lost in dark thoughts, and he passed a hand over his eyes before taking a deep breath and turning his attention to the boy. He said nothing as he quickly patted him over to identify the wounds and then scooped him into his arms. Toshiro was losing consciousness, but he could still see the emotions boiling in the king's eyes and feel the beat of his heart as his head sagged against his chest. Then the darkness came.

Toshiro woke some time later, but he was neither in his room nor the healing room. He wasn't even in the King's quarters. But he knew this place. He sat up carefully, waiting for the dizziness to pass. It was the secret chamber where he'd spend much time reading. He was on the couch, his wounded head had been carefully propped up by pillows. For the most part he was fine, these injuries were no worse then ones he'd pick up in a sparring match, it had just been the drain of power that had made them so severe. Now he felt his energy levels increase, these wounds would fade within a day. He remained sitting but scanned the room and quickly found what he was looking for.

"Grimmjow?" The man was sitting on the floor, his arms draped over his knees and his head resting in the middle. He slowly raised his head and looked to the pale boy on the couch.

"You alright?"

Toshito nodded. "You?"

"I'm not the one that got the crap beat out of me." but Toshiro continued to stare and he sighed, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. "Did I ever tell you that you're really annoying sometimes?" he sighed deep and reached for a book he'd set next to him. "I didn't want you to read this one." he slid it over the floor, it was thin and looked handwritten. "I knew it would change everything when you read it, but I suppose that doesn't really matter. Its not like you haven't figured out you're a soul reaper."

Toshiro was intrigued. He picked it up and flipped a couple of pages. There was a list like the first one he'd seen, with the names of all the arrancars, but this was more like an index. He flipped the a few pages until he came to on about the sixth espada. Grimmjow watched him read through it until he looked up.

"I could never figure out why the guy described me like that, so full of anger, but now I guess I know." Grimmjow flexed his fingers and stared at where the blood had been.

"You just reacted." Toshiro said, wanting to read more from the book but knowing what was truly bothering his friend.

"No, it was more. It was..." Grimmjow searched for words but his hands fell over the left side of his chest, where his heart would be if he had one. "I felt different." Grimmjow dropped his hand. "I have to get out of this place. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll take you to the human world, I'm sure you'll want to go after you read the rest of that book, and then you can decide what you want to do."

Toshiro took this as permission to continue reading and he did, but he skipped over much to get to what he had guessed was in there. He found his own name. Toshiro Hitsugaya. There was a lengthy description, written spitefully, but he still recognized many traits of himself: intelligence, almost beyond compare; high skill but still maturing, quick witted and physically very fast. A strategic and talented warrior, never allowing his size to disadvantage him. But the shocker was one line: youngest captain in the gotei 13, captain of squad ten.

"I'm a captain!" he blurted out, his normal reserve out the window. He had known he must be a soul reaper but he thought he couldn't be more than an early academy student based on his age. Toshiro read on but the rest meant nothing to him. People affiliated to him were listed, and the writer had left some comments about a girl named Momo and how the young captain would react if he did certain things to her. Toshiro flipped through the last of the pages but shut the journal and looked up at Grimmjow.

"I know, you hate me now. Don't worry, like I said, I'll take you back and–"

"I don't hate you."

"What?"

"What difference does it make? We both knew we were on opposite sides before. This doesn't change anything. I wish you'd shown me earlier but I don't hate you."

Grimmjow stared back, not really knowing what to say.

"What else haven't you shown me?" Grimmjow had his hand on a stack of books he'd dug out of their hiding place to get to the other one. They were more about Heuco Mundo, and some project called Hogyoku. They were ones that talked about the nasty things the hollows had been doing, things Grimmjow didn't really want the kid to read but he relinquished them anyway.

"Not tomorrow." The boy said when he took the stack. "In a couple of days." He nodded to the lengthy reading he had ahead of him and Grimmjow understood. He stood up and left the room. If he was going to leave in a few days, he would have to sort out a few things first, including the mess he'd left smoldering outside the training grounds.

The undestanding Grimmjow held with the other arrancars of the palace changed. None could challenge him and none now would, but the atmosphere of the whole palace had turned dark. Everyone skittered to get out of his way, no one questioned what happened but everyone was clearly afraid.

It was not what Grimmjow had wanted. Yes, in the early days there had been bloodshed, it was necessary in order to bring order and establish his place, but everyone had understood that. Now though, it was different, no one knew what happened and even if they did it would have seemed their King cared for the stranger more than one of his own. From an authoritarian perspective, it didn't matter, but their behaviour bothered Grimmjow. He had been bored before but now he was uncomfortable. He really wanted out, and if never came back, well, that wouldn't be so bad.

"Haqueshaw!" He barked when he saw the one arrancar he did wish to talk to.

"Sir!"

"I'm leaving in a couple of days to scope out the human world, maybe get some answers on what happened to us all a year ago."

"Yes Sir, what would you like for me to do sir?"

"Make sure you don't burn it down while I'm gone." He raised his hands to indicate the palace around them but the other arancard did not smile as his king did. He nervously nodded and excused himself. Grimmjow grit his teeth but he knew if any of them could keep things running while he was gone it was that one.

"I sure hope you're done reading, kid." He muttered to himself, making his way up toward the secret chamber.


	4. Chapter 4

Grimmjow and Toshiro stood in the dessert just outside the palace. Toshiro had finished up the last reading, completely healed and stood ready to leave, as impatient as the man beside him though much better at concealing the fact.

"Ready?" Grimmjow asked, raising his hands to open the cracks. Toshiro just nodded. Grimmjow felt out and made the tear. The rip between dimensions grew and they stared into darkness. Grimmjow took the first step and soon the two left behind the shadows of Hueco Mundo.

The world they stepped into was bright, noisy, full of life and over all dazzling. Toshiro tried to take in the countless structures, moving vehicles, crowds of people, sounds, lights, colours, of which he had never seen the like in Hueco Mundo.

"Pretty impressive isn't it?" Grimmjow said from beside him and they began their descent to earth. Toshiro just nodded, though the shock was clear in his eyes. Grimmjow smiled.

"So they can't see us, we'll be able to move about freely but according to the books, there are Soul Reapers who patrol the area. I've never seen one but be careful. Keep you spiritual pressure restrained like I taught you." Toshiro nodded and closed his eyes for a minuted. There was a rush of cool wind then a calm. Toshiro opened his eyes, Grimmjow could barely feel his spiritual pressure. "Very good. Now then, where to start..." He gazed around, pondering the situation.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Toshiro said quietly beside him.

"Why him?"

"At the time the journal was written, his allegiances were unclear."

"Yeah well he was definitely against hollows, and me...maybe we should pick someone else."

"Who?"

"Good point." Their only other options were other people who hated hollows. This human was the best choice. "Now, how to find him." Grimmjow sighed but Toshiro immediately raised a finger. Grimmjow followed to where it pointed straight ahead at a newspaper displayed on a shop front. He walked right up to it and read:

"Kurosaki Clinic saves six lives." And below the headline was a picture of the clinic with a man and his son before it. "Kurosaki clinic eh? Let's go."

* * *

Grimmjow stood outside the clinic doors unsure of what his next move should be. He glanced at the kid but Toshiro was clearly waiting for him to act.

"Okay, so I say we–" Grimmjow's words were cut short as the door to the clinic opened and a boy stepped out. He had his orange head of hair down as he was still trying to pulled his belt through his pant loops. A bag was slung in haste over his shoulder and he walked forward only to meet a solid barrier. Grimmjow had been too startled to move and now hazel eyes trailed up his body to meet his own blue ones.

"Uh, sorry, sir. He side stepped, clearly in hurry, but he stopped and glanced at the two once more. The boy was in simple white t-shir and pants but what was shocking was his aqua marine eyes and brilliant white hair. And the man he's stumbled into was really strange: he was wearing clothes unlike anything he'd seen even in the alternative fashions, his white jacket was short and barely closed over his midrift. His hair was just as abnormal, being a bright blue that matched his eyes. But the weirdest thing of all was the half white mask he war one side of his face, like a second jaw. Must be some weird new fashion trend, he thought.

"Are you guys looking for the clinic?"

"Y-yeah..." Grimmjow said uneasily, thrown off that this kid didn't seem to recognize him. "We were, uh looking for an Ichigo Kurosaki..."

"Oh, that's me? Can I help you?"

"ICHIGO!" A shrill voice sounded behind Toshiro and he jumped, seeing a small girl with light brown hair.

"Yuzu, you should have left for school already."

"You too!" She accused. "But you forgot your lunch." she held up a bag and he accepted it with thanks. "But I thought you ran off, why are you still here, you're going to be _sooo _late."

"I know, but I ran into these guys." He held out his hand but the girl looked blankly at the spot where Toshiro and Grimmjow stood.

"There's no one there Ichigo."

"What?"

"Are you talking to ghosts again?"

Toshiro and Grimmjow exchanged a glance then both turned to look at Ichigo critically. He was staring back at them.

"I guess so... but they're the most..._solid_ I've ever seen..."

"Hey kid, we're right here, don't act like we aren't."

"Sorry." he stammered.

"Hi there! Nice to meet you, my name is Yuzu." The girl stuck her hand out into the air no where near them. Toshiro stared at her, she was about eye level with him.

"Go to school Yuzu, I'll deal with them."

"Oh, okay." she sighed. "Nice to meet you!" She waved at empty air and ran off.

"Listen guys, I really am late now, can whatever it is wait?"

Grimmjow stared at him appalled, this was not playing out the way he had imagined at all. So he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and whispered low, "drop the act, I know you're a Soul Reaper."

"Soul Reaper?" Ichigo shrugged out of his grip but then something occurred to him and he held up a hand to Grimmjow and pressed against his shoulder. "Woa."

"What?" Grimmjow asked even more confused now.

"I've never met a ghost that was able to physically interact with our world, or me for that matter. Why are you so solid?"

"I don't know I just am. Now, like I said, I know what you are."

"Yeah, I'm late for class is what I am."

"No, you're a Soul Reaper."

"What _is _a Soul Reaper?"

"Come on, kid!" Grimmjow reached out to grabbed Ichigo by the collar but Toshiro spoke firmly.

"Grimmjow, leave him. He's not lying." Grimmjow glanced down at the boy and slowly relaxed. "Alright fine." He gave Ichigo an appraising look. "I'll let you go for now, but I've got my eye on you."

Ichigo stared back at him utterly lost and in a flash the two were gone.

...

"Well that was a failure. What the Hell? He could see us, but he didn't seem to know us. And I know that my file said I had several encounters with him."

"He must have lost his memory too." Toshiro said from where he sat next to Grimmjow on the edge of a roof. They were staring down at the bustling city, pondering their next move.

"But that doesn't make sense. Our world stopped altogether a year ago, we practically started back at zero. This place couldn't have, I mean look at them, no one is confused."

"I don't know, but either he's not Ichigo Kuroskai or he doesn't remember."

"Hmmm..." Grimmjow pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It had a list of names of other humans. "Well I guess we could try them." Toshiro looked at the list and nodded.

"They are all mentioned to be friends of Ichigo Kurosaki."

"We should have followed him." Grimmjow hissed.

"No..." Toshiro shut his eyes, "I can sense him."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, but its like I can almost see this...ribbon in the air...like its leading to him. He has spiritual pressure even if he doesn't know it."

"Well I could feel that back at the clinic. Alright, let's follow him." They jumped off the edge and began tracing the ephemeral link back to Karakura high.

* * *

Grimmjow moved through the busy halls of the school. He saw the orange head of hair and ducked behind a long block of tall metal cupboards that the students were all heading too. He watched Ichigo leave and then waited to see if he could spot any of his friends.

"I hope he doesn't see Toshiro." Grimmjow muttered to himself. They had split up, Toshiro entered from the roof and Grimmjow from the bottom, hoping to make sure they covered the whole area and not miss one of their targets.

Grimmjow continued to dodge students, but it was pretty much impossible and he inevitably knocked into a few who jumped at the invisible contact. One even fell to the floor. He found himself uttering an apology and then caught himself, almost laughing out loud. He shook his head and moved on, but he stopped immediately, seeing one of their targets.

"Orihime Inoue." he breathed. She had her back to him but her hair was a dead give away and he saw the spark of two identical blue hair pins: what was recorded as her weapons. He walked behind her. She had a brown paper bag in her hand and was heading toward a door at the rear of the school. Soon there were less people to push past and Grimmjow stealthily slipped out the door behind her. They were alone.

Grimmjow reached out slowly and snatched the pins out of her hair. She jumped when locks of long red hair fell into face. She felt through her hair and spun around, facing Grimmjow.

"My berets!" She exclaimed.

"Listen, I know these are you're powers so I was just being careful but I need you to tell me–"

"Where did they go?" She continued, never making eye contact with him and bending down to search the ground. "Oh no, I can't lose them..."

"So I take it you can't see me?" Grimmjow said, squatting down next to the girl. She just kept looking.

"Are you alright Orihime?" Both arrancar and girl looked up to see a dark haired boy with glasse.

"Uryu." Orhime said and Grimmjow realized he was another from their list. "I lost my hair clips."

"The ones you always wear?"

"Uh huh..." her eyes were actually filling with tears and Uryu bent down next to her to try to comfort her.

"Orhime, its okay, I'll help..."

"You don't understand." she said choking back a sob. "They were a gift from my brother..."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Grimmjow watched on in confusion, feeling very guilty now about the clips in his hand but still trying to determine how they might be the source of her power.

"Maybe they fell out inside..." Uryu suggested. Why don't you go look in there and I'll keep looking here."

"Alright..." she said, slowly rising. Grimmjow quickly got out of the way as she walked past him and back inside.

Uryu stood up slowly, staring after her.

"So, I take it you can't see me either." Grimmjow said, idly twirling the hair pieces in his hands and sighing disappointedly.

"Actually..." Grimmjow felt a shock of energy strike his body and fell back, pinned to the wall behind him. He looked down stunned to see a glowing blue arrow piercing his shoulder, "I _can _see you."

"Shit..." Grimmjow moaned, tasting blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Toshiro didn't even make it into the school before a wave of students came rushing out of the stairwell that opened up to the roof. He just stood there and watched them and quickly picked out the tallest, tannest one among them.

"Sado." He said, putting himself before the towering teen. Chad walked straight into him, tripping and falling and knocking Toshiro down in the process. Someone came running up to help Chad stand. Toshiro had taken a knee to the gut and was still coughing when he realized who it was that helped up the giant.

Ichigo glared down at him but said nothing.

"Why can't Sado see me?" Toshiro coughed, righting himself. Ichigo clearly heard him, but ignored him. Toshiro scowled but persistently followed them. The two joined a group of boys sitting in one corner eating lunch. Toshiro almost told Ichigo he couldn't ignore him forever but realized how childish it would sound so he stubbornly sat nearby and watched them. Ichigo kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye but made no move.

A few minutes passed, Toshiro was wondering if he should just go find Grimmjow when he felt a shower of dark spiritual pressure. Somewhere, the cracks from Heuco Mundo had just opened and something had come through.

"Those bastards." Toshiro stood up and looked out on the city. It was very close. He hurried to the edge of the building and saw that one hollow had indeed landed in the school's courtyard.

"Crap." he hopped onto the ledge and prepared to jump.

"What is it?" He hadn't even noticed Ichigo stand up behind him. His friends were also standing, looking around uneasily but unable to see the hollow like Ichigo.

"Just stay here." Toshiro said.

"But...you're just a kid."

Toshiro just shot him a side ways look that said he was not impressed and then jumped.

"Crap..." Ichigo ran for the stairwell, ignoring his friends who shouted after him.

* * *

Uryu walked up to Grimmjow who was panting for breath and still trying to figure out how he had been impaled on the wall. He eyed Uryu's bow and grit his teeth angrily.

"You little punk. So you remember after all."

"Remember?"

"Yeah, what happened a year ago. You're the only one who still has powers."

"Still? What are you talking about? Who else has spiritual pressure?"

Grimmjow just glared. Uryu raised his bow and aimed for the other shoulder.

"Tell me."

"Screw you." Grimmjow hollered in pain as the second went through his other shoulder. His arm spasmed and he dropped the hair pins. _Damn this kid,_ he thought. He'd let his guard down, thinking this kid was powerless. It was the only way his arrow could actually have done him harm, and now that he was already weakened, it seemed he could shoot him full of holes.

Uryu stepped forward and casually picked up the pins, his face just inches from Grimmjow's. But both men turned when the door opened. Uryu's bow disintegrated immediately.

"Orhime."

"Did you find them?"

"I did." he held out his hand and revealed the two blue pins. Her face broke into a wide smile and as soon as she'd accepted them she threw her arms around Uryu. He blushed slightly but smiled back when she withdrew.

"Thank you. Thank you!"

"You're welcome Orihime."

She turned to go, but her eyes hesitated on the wall next to the door.

"Yeah, I'm dying here, why can't you see me?" Grimmjow yelled but the girl turned away and reached for the door.

"Are you coming?" She asked over her shoulder.

"I'm going to stay outside, see you in class."

"Okay, see you." She left. The door clicked shut and Uryu's eyes were locked on Grimmjow once again, the bow in his hand. He aimed at Grimmjow lower right abdomen.

"Wait kid! Why are you doing this?"

"Because you are a hollow and I am a quincy and it is my job to kill you. I've never seen a hollow as..._refined_ as you but I know what you are, with that bone mask and that hole in your stomach. So before I kill you, you're going to tell me what the Hell you were doing stalking Orihme."

Grimmjow tugged against the glowing arrows but couldn't reach up to pull them out now that both shoulders were pinned. He inwardly scolded himself as he watched the tip of the next arrow in anticipation.

But Uryu'a attention flickered when a wave of dark spiritual pressure hit them.

"Another one, in the court yard!" he exclaimed then his eyes turned accusingly to Grimmjow.

"It ain't with me. Listen, take these damn things out and I'll go kill it for you."

"Huh, I don't need your help." Uryu smiled smugly. Just then the door burst open, Uryu jumped in surprised and released his arrow. Ichigo hollered, as he came through the door, seeing blue light flashing past and then jumped when he heard a cry of pain from beside him. He'd been in a rush to get to the court yard but now he stopped, completely stunned by what he was seeing.

"Uryu? What is going on?" Uryu still had the bow out, it was too late so he didn't bother trying to hide it.

"You should go back inside Ichigo." Ichigo ignored him and looked to the wall. Uryu's eyes widened. "Can you see him, Ichigo?"

"Of course I can and what the hell have you done to him?"

"He's a hollow, he deserves it."

"What? You're crazy." he reached out to touch one of the three arrows. Uryu cried out for him to stop but his fist closed around the shaft and it dissipated. Uryu was silenced by surprise and Ichigo continued with the others until Grimmjow was free. The espada groaned and slid down the wall.

"Thanks kid..." he moaned, taking a moment to recover. The wounds bled heavily but he was strong. He began to push himself back up when Uryu yelled out.

"Stay right there!" Uryu had his bow aimed straight at Grimmjow's head.

"Stop it!" Ichigo said, jumping in between.

"Ichigo, you don't understand." Uryu urged, feeling the raging battle in the courtyard.

"My companion..." Grimmjow murmured behind Ichigo and the boy half turned. Grimmjow was still trying to pull himself all the way up, using the wall for support. "He's fighting it, I can feel it."

"He's lying, it's a Soul Reaper that is fighting it." Uryu snapped.

"I know." Grimmjow wheezed and Uryu fixed him with confused stare. "My companion...he is a Soul Reaper."

* * *

Toshiro had landed before the hollow. A lot of students were lying on the ground, confusedly scampering to their feet and running inside from whatever invisible foe had cause the impact in the middle of the courtyard. But as soon as Toshiro arrived, it focussed straight on him.

"Stop!" He commanded, holding out a bare hand. He wished he had a sword like the arrancars, or could make a cero like Grimmjow. But at least he had his ice. But then, he thought, chuckling to himself, he had fought much worse with much less all those months in the Gillion Forest.

"You are unafraid." it spoke, Toshiro was actually surprised but he didn't bother giving a response. He just prepared for the fight.

"You think you can take me so easily huh?" it asked, smiling wide. It was nearly as tall as the school and extremely fat. It had limited room in the school yard. But then it did something Toshiro did not expect: it pounded its fist into the side of the school, sending shockwaves to the very foundations. Chunks fell off the roof toward terrified students below, Toshiro had to act fast.

He understood the tactic immediately but he had no choice. He had to save them. He flash stepped and pulled three students out of the way, then diverted another falling chunk to fall harmlessly in a garden. But he had turned his back long enough for the hollow to strike. A large pincer wrapped around his petite form and slammed him into the building while applying pressure to his ribs. He gasped in pain and the hollow laughed.

"Small fry..." but then it shouted in surprise and withdrew its pincer, dropping the boy. It was covered in ice. He tried to shake it off but in his distraction Toshiro flash stepped up to him and kicked the pincer. It shattered, sending the hollow screaming backwards into the building. Again it shook but this time Toshiro didn't hesitate, he dove directly for the hollow's mask and, letting his spiritual pressure pool around his fist, he punched straight through it. It disintegrated before him but he was too busy to watch because of the still falling debris. The school was shaking, it wouldn't hold, too much damage had been done.

Toshiro landed at the base of the wing that was beginning to cave.

"Get out!" A girl with short dark hair yelled behind him. "Its collapsing!" then more forlornly to herself she murmured, "they'll all die."

Toshiro took a deep breath and ran into the wall, hands outstretched. He let all the spiritual pressure he could flow from his body to cover the crumbling bricks, to hold everything frozen in place. Just before two hallways collapsed on one another, the ice caught them, and they stayed frozen. People inside rushed out the doorways at the bottom, no one taking the time to question what had saved them.

Toshiro withdrew, exhausted. He collapsed on his back. But as his head rolled to the side, he saw a girl, standing, examing the building, but she was on the side not covered by ice. There was still debris falling, she was about to get hit.

"Move!" Toshiro called as he flash stepped through space with the last of his energy. He saw the girl's face clearly as he rushed toward her. She was about his height, her hair dark, pulled in a bun. He realized she was wearing a different school uniform as the others just as he collided with her and when they came to a rolling stop he realized too that she had a sword. He didn't get up though, he didn't have anything left. She shot to her feet and held out her blade but her face contorted in shock and she dropped her weapon at once.

"Toshiro!" she fell at his side. "Oh my...I can't believe its you!" he didn't respond, just watched her. Something stirred deep inside him, but he couldn't tell what. She reached for something in her pocket and held it to her ear but then dropped it immediately.

"Oh no, Ichigo and Uryu are coming, I'm not allowed to let them see me. Quick, come with me." She tried to pulled him up but he resisted, and pulled his hand away. "Toshiro, what are you doing, come on!"

He didn't move.

"I know you probably don't have all your memories, but I'm your friend, Momo, trust me, we have to go."

"No." he said simply.

"Please..."

"Stay." he said. "But I'm not going."

She bit her lip, the humans were starting to emerge and among them was an orange head.

"It forbidden to let them see me. Please come."

"No."

"Then I'll come back for you. You won't leave this world?"

He stared back at her, she took it as an affirmative. "I'll explain everything, please."

He nodded. She disappeared just as three others came running up to them. One was the boy from the morning and supported by one of his arms was Grimmjow, bleeding rather badly. Behind them both was a boy with dark hair and glasses, a glowing bow in his hands. Toshiro just had time for all this to register before passing out.


	6. Chapter 6

Uryu's hand twitched and eventually he lowered the bow. The second shockwave had hit the school, there was no time to waste. Grimmjow lurched off the wall but immediately started to fall over. Ichigo caught one of his arms and steadied him and together they ran toward the courtyard. Uryu watched them, and, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

When they got there the battle was done. Ichigo and Uryu awed at the formation of ice now glistening like crystal in the sun. But Grimmjow had seen the like before and was just looking to see the inevitable aftermath of such a feat.

There, on his back, to one side of the court.

He briefly thought he saw another figure standing over him, but as they got nearer he saw no one.

"Crap." Grimmjow muttered, sliding away from Ichigo's support and kneeling beside Toshiro. He felt his own body trembling from blood loss and pain, but he ignored it, picking up the boy.

"But he's a Soul Reaper." Uryu said, still confused.

Grimmjow's head swivelled slowly and he gave him a look of impatience. "So?"

Uryu was baffled, but made no move to stop him when he rose.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ichigo asked as he began to limp away.

Grimmjow stopped, turned to look at him and opened his mouth, but nothing came out, his eyes shut and Uryu and Ichigo both moved instinctively to catch him. Uryu caught Toshiro as he rolled free of the man's grip and Ichigo eased Grimmjow to the ground.

"What do we do now?" Uryu asked. Ichigo was starting to notice some people staring at them, since they were both holding onto invisible beings.

"Whatever we do, we have to get out of here. People are staring."

"Alright." Uryu grabbed Ichigo's arr. "Hang on to him tight." Ichigo didn't understand but one instant he was in the courtyard, the next he was back outside his clinic. He had felt a tug, like gravity, and they skidded a bit on the ground before his house, so he knew they had moved, he just couldn't perceive how. He stared at Uryu in disbelief.

"I'll explain later." he said dismissively. For now, they need help."

"Well you did most the damage." Ichigo accused, standing between him and the clinic.

"Kurosaki, do you really have a choice? It seems to me you don't know anything about the spiritual world except that you can see it. You need me."

"But why are you helping them?"

"Because," his eyes fell to Grimmjow darkly, "he still owes me some answers."

* * *

_Toshiro Hitsugaya..._ The voice was the most powerful it had ever been. He knew the ice dragon's name now, after reading the report: Hyorinmaru, but that was sort of cheating. He still couldn't hear it in his dreams. What he couldn't figure out was if his sword had been destroyed and needed to be manifested anew, or if it was held prisoner somewhere between Hecuo Mundo and the Soul Society.

Still, the dream ended in a roar of ice as usual and he shot up in on a hard bed, reaching out but finding himself quite restrained. He looked down to see spiritual chains wrapped around his wrists and pinning them to his body.

He made no noise, just sat quietly and turned his cold eyes to the backs of the two humans who stood over his only friend and ally.

"Uryu, do you really think its necessary to restrain them?"

"Yes, he's hollow, he can't be trusted."

"And the little one, he's just a kid."

"He's a Soul Reaper, and he could have answers too. They wanted something from Orihme, this one actually stole her hair pins."

"He did what?"

"That's what he was doing when I confronted him. He seemed to think she should be able to see him. I can't let a threat to Orihime walk around freely."

"Hmm..." Ichigo was pondering the matter. "I would never put her at risk...but do you really think that's what he wanted? To hurt her?"

"Why would you doubt it?"

"Because just now wasn't the first time I met them."

"What?"

"They were waiting for me outside the clinic. They were talking about Soul Reapers and seemed to expect me to know things."

"Just like Orihime. Did they mention anyone else?"

"Well...the little one ran into Chad on the roof. He seemed to think Chad should be able to see him too."

"Why the four of us then?"

"Wait, but why can you and I see them? And what's with that bow thing?"

"I'm a Quincy?"

"A what?"

"I kill hollows, like this guy, except I've never seen one so close to human form before."

"So that's why you shot him?"

"Yes."

"_Three_ times." he stressed.

"Ichigo, they're evil."

"I don't know..."

"When he wakes up, I want answers. And if you can't handle it, then maybe you should leave."

"What are you talking about? What do you plan to do?"

Toshiro tensed on his bed but waited. Uryu pulled out a silver tube, and when he concentrated a blade of blue light shot out. Toshiro grit his teeth in anger.

"No, way, Uryu are you insane? I just patched him up, if you think I'm going to let you-"

"Ichigio, relax. I won't use it, I'll just threaten, he wouldn't understand compassion or guilt, so he won't expect me to bluff."

Toshiro relaxed. So he was powerful, but this Uryu Ishida was just a kid after all, not hardened yet. Still, the fact that he manifest chains this powerful was disturbing and with Grimmjow beat up, he could be trouble. Better to catch him by surprise.

"Can't we just ask them? They wanted to talk to me earlier, I'm sure they'll explain, he probably just wouldn't talk 'cause you stabbed him."

Toshiro decidedly liked this one the best, even if he was naive.

"Can't take the chance on them running."

"Indeed." Toshiro snapped the chains around him easily, his spiritual pressure fully recovered and Ichigo and Uryu barely had time to turn to face him before he flashed out of sight.

They both fell flat on their backs, the wind knocked out of them. When they looked up they saw the white haired boy standing astride the body on the table. His face was twisted in anger when he saw the red stained bandages and the pallor of Grimmjow's skin.

He said nothing, just shot them a glance that said I really should kill you but you aren't worth my time, bent down, grabbed the bundle of chains wrapped around Grimmjow, and disappeared.

* * *

Grimmjow woke very sore and very cold. He couldn't tell where in the Hell they were, but it was lit faintly by an eery white glow. He shifted and found himself bound, disconcerting, but perhaps even more bothersome was that he seemed to be in a dome of ice.

"Kid?" Toshiro turned around surprised. He was out of breath. He came immediately to Grimmjow's side and snapped the chains with a burst of spiritual pressure.

Grimmjow tried to sit up but couldn't put pressure on either arm to right himself so he lay back with a dull thud. He had been lain on a canvas blanket that kept the stabbing cold from the bare flesh of his back but nothing protected him from the cold that hung in the air and seeped into his bones.

"What the Hell kid? Where are we?"

"An abandoned building. I made this to contain your spiritual pressure." Grimmjow realized it had all slipped out while he was unconscious but even now, trying to pull it in was difficult. He was exhausted.

"You lost a lot of blood."

"I know." Grimmjow sighed. "That damn kid had this bow thing and these blue arrows made of energy..." he watched the boy's eyes. "You already know?" he nodded, "Okay, so what happened?"

Toshiro explained what happened with the hollow and then when they woke. He waited until the end to tell him about the girl soul reaper.

"No no no, you aren't going to meet with her are you?"

"Of Course. She'll have answers."

Grimmjow sighed. His eyes were closing again but his body trembled from the cold.

"Seriously kid its freezing." He stopped talking, his eyes still closed.

"Grimmjow?"

"Hmmm."

"Are you..alright?"

He cracked open an ice blue eye. "Im alrigh..." he was beginning to slur but he raised one hand as high as his wound would allow and squeezed Toshiro's shoulder reassuringly. "Just need to sleep it off," and then he was out again.

* * *

Grimmjow woke the next day a little more comfortably. A few blankets had been found and layered over his body. He pulled them back briefly to see that his wounds were much more closed over now, though he would still have to be careful. He didn't see red so he knew the kid had rebound them. It was funny, as much as they were friends, and equals on the battlefield, he was always the one to do the looking after. Now here he was being taken care of by the kid.

Toshiro had been propped near once icy wall but now came to Grimmjow's side and helped him sit up. Grimmjow sucked in all his power and Toshiro, understanding, shattered the dome. A rush of warmer air hit them, creating a wind the whooshed though their hair and ruffled the blankets. Grimmjow sighed.

"That's better." he moved his arms around tentatively and winced. The deeper tissue was still severed. The wound in his abdomen shot pain with every breath.

"Dammit." He breathed. "Watch out for that kid with the glasses. As long as you keep your guard up, his arrows should bounce right off you, but he's fast, so be careful."

Toshiro nodded and moved to Grimmjow's side as he forced himself to stand. He leaned heavily on the boy for the first few steps but then seemed to steady himself and was able to walk on his own. Toshiro carried his jacket and his sword and walked beside him.

"She's coming to find me."

"That Soul Reaper girl?"

"Yes."

"So what do you want to do?" They were in a large warehouse it seemed and had now come to the edge. Grimmjow pushed the door open and bright light blinded him. He took a moment before continuing out into the streets.

"I think I should meet her alone."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're an arrancar. And look at what that Quincy did to you just because of what you are."

"What the hell is a Quincy anyway?" Grimmjow said darkly, but he was just trying to avoid the other topic. One glance at Toshiro told him he had failed. "Fine," he sighed, "but they chained you up too remember so I won't let you go without back up."

"She might attack you if she sees you."

"They're all just prejudice." Grimmjow snorted and Toshiro smiled slightly. "Alright kid, we'll pick a spot where I can watch and you let out a little bit of your spiritual pressure and she'll come running. Try to get as many answers as you can out of her, but don't going running off with her, you hear?"

Toshiro nodded. Grimmjow was uneasy about the whole thing. Ultimately, the big question had already been answered, they knew Toshiro was a Soul Reaper Captain, they knew where he belonged, but they didn't know why he had been abandoned in Hecuo Mundo, and that alone was a reason not to trust the girl. If she had really been his friend, why had no one come for him since clearly, _they_ had not forgotten.

They came to a fairly open field, but sheltered on three sides by trees and on one side by bleachers. Grimmjow chose a tree, climbed into it carefully, and concealed himself while Toshiro went alone to the bleachers. He sat down and let out a thin strand of spiritual pressure.

It only took ten minutes for her to show up. She threw her arms around him, tears already forming in her eyes, but he just sat and waited for her to calm down and sit beside him. When she did, she started to explain.

"Toshiro, you're a captain of one of the thirteen squads of the Court Guards. Do you remember the Seireitei, the Soul Society?" He shook his head no. "Well that's where we're both from. And it where we need to go back to, okay?" She slipped her hand into his but he did not squeeze back.

"What happened, a year ago?"

"The Cataclysm." she said darkly. "It was awful."

This told him nothing so he stared back at her until she continued. "There was a man, a terrible man, named Sosuke Aizen. He tried to destroy everything, this world, the Soul Society, and in the process of defeating him, it happened. He had this power...its sort of hard to explain, but when he died he was trying to do something, to sort of, hyponotize everyone. Whatever happened, it ended up erasing the memory of anyone within two dimensions of him."

"What does that mean exactly..."

"They had chased him back to Heuco Mundo at the time, or so we've deduced, because that is where it originated. The power sort of erupted, and everyone in Hecuo Mundo lost their memories, and everyone in the World of the living did too. By the time the shockwave reached the Soul Society, it had lost its power. Only a few were affected."

"But that's not true. This world is fine, no one lost their memories."

"Yes," she said sadly, "they did. What happened was spiritual, so its effects were spiritual. Any Soul Reaper here lost their memories and any human with spiritual power lost any memories connected to the spiritual world. That is why Ichigo Kurosaki could see you yesterday, but didn't remember you. He always had the ability to see ghosts, but Orihme and Chad couldn't until they were forced to by circumstances and over exposure, so they've lost everything."

"But the one who called himself a Quincy?"

"He's different. Like Ichigo, he knew of the spiritual world long before he met Aizen. He studied from his Grandfather. I'm not sure if he remembers anything, but he still had his powers and no doubt some writings on the Qunicies, so it was only a matter of time before he rediscovered our world."

"I see. And you never bothered to try to help any of them remember?"

She was taken aback by his harsh tones. "No, it was forbidden. The Head Captain said it would be best if they never remembered so they could carry on with their normal human lives. It really was the best thing for them."

"Oh? And its up to you to decide that for them is it?"

"Toshiro what's this about?"

"Why did no one come for me? Why did I wake up alone in a desert in a dimension where I did not belong?"

"It was complicated," she choked on her emotions, "so much happened and we didn't have much information to go on...we tried looking but–"

"A whole year! What could have taken so long?"

"Toshiro please!" he stood but she clamped her hand around his wrist. Both were shaking with emotions.

"We didn't even know if you were alive. No one knew what happened to you, please..." she pulled on his arm enough to make him turn to face her. "I'm pretty good at the technique they came up with to restore memories. It takes a long time, but every time you remember something. Please, just let me try for a minute or so, and see if you remember anything."

He stared at her for a long moment before taking a step forward. He didn't entirely trust her but he also wanted to know. She released his wrist and raised her hand's to his temples. "Just stay still," she hissed. He did as he was told and soon he saw pale, ghostly images before his closed eyes. They moved too fast to be distinguished but as he felt more of her power at work they slowed, grew clearer, and suddenly he was plunged into a memory so vivid he forgot it wasn't real.

_He was standing on the silver sands of the dessert. He knew this place, it was far from the palace but dangerously close to the Gillion Forest. There was a monster before him, not a hollow, or even an arrancar, but something much more terrifying. He seemed to be a man, warped, disfigured, but immensely powerful._

"_Aizen." he heard himself say, though he didn't know why. He was reliving it with no context, his memory telling him what he did, but not why, and not who this person was. He looked down at himself and saw he was wearing a black robe like the girl's and over top what was left of a white hiori. But mostly he saw the blood that covered him, and in one hand he clung to the hilt of a battered and blood spattered by still majestic katana. He looked back up to Aizen who was breathing hard, black blood seeping out his mouth. He was dying._

"_That was brave, Hitsugaya, but this will spread across dimensions, your little suicidal mission has failed."_

_He held in his palm something golden, and in the other hand, he raised a sword._

"_Kurosaki may have ripped the Hogyoku from me, but I can still use it to amplify my power. I was going to make them all believe I was their god..." he heaved and more blood spewed out his lips. He chuckled darkly, "but now that seems pointless doesn't it. Instead I'll just get my revenge. I'll crush you minds, on every plain of existence, in one fell swoop."_

"_You can't." Toshiro panted, he too would not last much longer. "Its not possible."_

"_Hmm, perhaps not in one fell swoop, but I'll leave you all in a nightmare you can't escape. It will drive you all insane, and then you will have paid the price."_

_This, Toshiro did believe. He grit his teeth._

"_I won't let you."_

"_You, my dear little captain, spent all your energy dragging me back here. You don't have a choice in the matter anymore."_

_Toshiro indeed felt like he might fall over at any moment but he gripped his sword between trembling fingers._

_Aizen laughed at him even as his voice grew fainter and he clearly was in his last moments. He tossed the hogyogu and swung._

_Toshiro shot off the ground and met the blade in mid air. There was a moment when he thought he had won, but then the force of Aizen's blade pushed both their blades backwards and they struck the golden object. _

_What happened next was a jumble for Toshiro, not because the process of recovering his memories was not working correctly, but because, in that moment, he was being devoured by the the power of the hogyoku and the ground zero of the so-called cataclysme._

_He was burning. He was drowning, suffocating, being crushed. The sword in his hands convulsed and turned to dust before his very eyes. His soul cried out in agony, his mind reeled, his body broke. And then all turned to silver glass and white light and nothing more._

* * *

Grimmjow pulled the girl off of Toshiro and roughly threw her to the ground. She was sobbing, but that wasn't his concern. Toshiro was screaming in what seemed like pain, but was also a mix of sorrow and rage. When the connection broke, it didn't stop, he just covered his eyes and kept screaming.

"Kid!"

Still the screams.

"TOSHIRO!" He pulled the boy's hands away from his face and forced him to look at him. The screams died, he stood staring at Grimmjow with shuddering breaths, realizing where he was, that the horror had ended. Grimmjow slowly let go of Toshiro's hands but remained kneeling before him, waiting. Tears brimmed in the corners of the boy's eyes and then he was collapsing into strong arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Grimmjow held him tightly, not knowing what else to do but wishing he could erase whatever had been done. He tensed when he felt steel against the back of his neck but never let go of the sobbing child.

"Hollow." The girl accused.

"Arrancar." he corrected.

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Let go of him."

"So you can kill me, or so you can torture him some more?" Grimmjow stood, despite the threat of the blade, still keeping the boy pressed against him. The girl hesitated and sheathed her sword.

"Why are you here?"

"Because, unlike you Soul Reapers, I'm not about to abandon him."

She stared back at him forlornly, looking like she was about to cry again, but he didn't want to wait and see. He needed to get them out of there, it was already too dangerous. He planted his foot and disappeared.

Momo stood alone on the field and waited. An instant later an equally petite woman was before her, but this one had a white hiori and a squad of assassins at her back.

"You aren't going after them Captain Soifon?" Momo asked. Soifon shook her head.

"I've sent men to follow them. We'll wait until they are separated to make our move."

"I see."

Soifon paused before her and then asked in a softer voice, "what just happened? Why was he screaming like that?"

Momo's lip trembled. "Whatever he saw caused it. Whatever memory surfaced. But I do know one thing, it was about Aizen."

* * *

Toshiro's chest felt like it was going to burst. The emotions that had flooded his body along with the memories of the physical and spiritual agony went far beyond his control. He had never cried in the year that he remembered, but now it was a force that seemed to overtake his whole body, and the sobs that wracked him paralysed him, shut out everything else except the one small feeling of comfort given by those strong and strangely gentle, protective arms.

Toshiro saw black as he hyperventilated and some part of him told him he needed to calm himself down. But it was hard. What he was feeling reverberated out of the depth of his being and from another time, he was not equipped to deal with it.

He felt the arms around him relax and he was set on cool metal. Grimmjow's hands moved to his shoulders and he withdrew enough that they could look eye to eye.

"You're gonna pass out if you don't slow your breathing down." Toshiro nodded, he knew, he just couldn't get the pain in his chest to go away or the images to fade.

"Just try." Grimmjow urged, having nothing else to offer by way of advice.

"He's having a panic attack." someone said over Grimmjow's shoulder. Toshiro couldn't see past Grimmjow but looked down at the table he was sitting on.

"We're at the clinic." Grimmjow explained.

"Wh-why?" Toshiro asked almost accusingly after he had gone to all the trouble of rescuing Grimmjow from here last time.

"Because..." and for the first time Toshiro's eyes fell to the beads of sweat one Grimmjow's face and the strain in his voice, "we need help." Toshiro reached up to grip Grimmjow's arm when he felt a wave of dizziness, but as it passed he saw the slick crimson on the back of his hand and followed it down to the rest of his clothes. He was shocked at how much there was.

"Grim–jow..." he gasped.

"Don't worry, I just shouldn't have used Sodino so soon, that's all. Just calm down."

"I'm trying..." he panted in a wavering voice. Toshiro could feel the weight on his shoulders increase, Grimmjow was fighting to stay upright.

Grimmjow could only watch helplessly as the boy struggled for each breath. But then a thought struck him and he turned to Ichigo.

"You got a book?"

"Tons, why?"

"Grab one."

"About what?"

"Anything, just get one." Ichigo obeyed, grabbed a medical text on the nearest shelf and handed it to Grimmjow. The espada opened it up and lay it on the boy's lap.

"Read." he commanded.

"What?"

"Do it!" Toshiro stopped questioning and looked down at the book. It was hard to focus on the words at first but then once he started they became clearer. He read and took in every word, and the more pages he turned the more focussed his attention became on the content and less on the whirling memories and feelings beyond his control. His breathing evened out, his tears dried up. He only realized these things when a hand ruffled his hair and a deep voice whispered,

"Good..." and Toshiro just saw the flash of blue eyes and felt the hand fall away as Grimmjow collapsed to the floor.

* * *

**And this is called procrastination...lot of homework piled up over the long weekend and now I don't want to do it even though I have to...we've all been there. Anyway, works out well for you readers so I hope you enjoyed, let me know what you thought because to me this was one of the most challenging chapters to write in terms of the relationship between Toshiro and Grimmjow and I someone already mentinoed it I think but I'm aiming for them to be like brothers. Toshiro is also incredibly challenging because he is and isn't a child at the same time. Anyway, thannks adn happy Thanks Giving to all!**


	7. Chapter 7

The next two days were quiet. Ichigo had proved an ally and not an enemy. As soon as Grimmjow had collapsed he'd lifted him to a table and bound up his wounds that had reopened. Grimmjow was unconscious for the rest of that day and night, but woke in much better condition the next day. Ichigo had gotten Toshiro some other clothes to wear since his ones from heuco Mundo were covered in blood. They decided to share with Ichigo what they knew and why they had come.

"It all sounds made up to me. I mean the things you said, about Chad's arm, Orihime's hair pieces..."

Grimmjow reached into his pocket and held out a piece of paper. Ichigo stood up and took it from him. He read it over.

"What..." he read the profiles listed for his friends and the one for himself. "But who wrote this?"

"Aizen." Toshiro said bitterly, hopping up onto the bed next to where Grimmjow lay and leaning over Ichigo's shoulder. "It proves what we've been saying, and what the girl told me."

Ichigo stared at the paper for a few more moments before folding it and handing it back to Grimmjow. He sighed slowly.

"What?" Grimmjow asked him.

"I woke up in a hospital a little less than a year ago. I had been in a coma for five weeks. No one knows how I got hurt, and when I did get better I realized I'd lost some of my memories. But it was strange...when I tried to fill in the gaps, it was always times that I was away, and no one could really give me any details..."

"Then you believe us." Toshiro said.

Ichigo stepped away from the bed. "I don't know what to think, but after what I've seen the last few days...its easier to accept. I should call Orihime and the others."

"No." Toshiro said sternly, actually surprising himself. "She said not to."

"And why are we listening to her after what she did?" Grimmjow shot angrily. Toshiro glanced at him but said nothing. He'd already tried explaining that he didn't think the girl had intended to hurt him.

"What the Hell are you doing Kurosaki?" the voice sounded harshly from the door way. Grimmjow tensed and tried to get up but Ichigo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Uryu, relax."

"You little Bastard..." Grimmjow growled but remained on the bed.

"I thought you left." Uryu said hostilely but showing no sign that he would attack him again.

"Something happened. Grimmjow's wound reopened."

"So they came back here after running away?"

"Uryu, there are some things you should know."

And so had gone the second day. There was a lot to discuss. On the third day, Grimmjow was up and about again, and having not moved around his spiritual power stitched him up from the inside out. Now there was nothing but faint pink lines that would disappear in another day.

The four stood in the clinic. Uryu and Ichigo were now just as curious and determined to get answers though for now, they would leave Chad and Orihme out of it. Grimmjow produced another piece of paper and showed it to the humans.

"Where is this: Urahara Shoten?"

Simply written beside it was _Karakura Town _and the name _Urahara Kisuke_.

"I don't know. I guess Aizen didn't bother to elaborate."

"That's why I didn't think he could be too important but now it seems we don't have much choice."

"If its our only lead, I say we follow it." Uryu said. Grimmjow put the paper back in his pocket.

"Then let's go."

...

The reason they didn't remember the shop is because it was boarded up. Ichigo and Uryu immediately recognized it when they saw it as an old candy shop run by a strange man but neither remembered ever going in. They peeled back a few boards and went inside. It was completely empty.

"Well this was a bust." Grimmjow said, kicking the wall. Splinters showered down on him and he sighed.

"Not entirely." Uryu called from the next room.

"Why? What did you find." Ichigo followed him in. "Whoa..." Toshiro and Grimmjow looked at one another before running in after them. The humans were gone but there was a staircase they had uncovered leading down into a bright room. Grimmjow went first, and gasped, Toshiro right behind. They were standing in a massive underground cavern, or so it seemed, for it looked for all the world like they were outside.

"I don't get it." Grimmjow said when he came down the last step and joined Ichigo and Uryu.

"Its incredible." Ichigo breathed.

They split up and spread out to investigate further.

Toshiro followed a winding trail through pillars of rocks. His eyes wandered up cliffs and to mountains visible in the distance. He just lost sight of the others when he felt cool hands around him. Before he could yell out, a hand clamped over his mouth and others held his hands behind his back.

He struggled frantically but to no avail.

"Shh." Momo urged, coming in front of him. "We can't be seen by the others."

"Its too late for that now," another woman said coming into view, "Hitsugaya and the arrancar have already told them too much. Its time to act."

"But we have him, shouldn't we just go?" Momo asked.

"No. The Head Captain wants both of them."

Toshiro's eyes shifted between them frantically. He had to warn his friends.

"Its alright Toshiro." Momo soothed. "It will all make sense when we get back to the Soul Society. So many people are waiting to see you..." This didn't calm him one bit. He struggled as hard as he could against the men that held him.

He let some of his spiritual pressure spread over their arms. They yelped and let go and Toshiro made a dash but the woman in the white hiori was too fast for him. He was on his back before he even felt the pain in his gut and then he was being rolled over onto his stomach. Something was secured around his wrists. He tried to freeze it but when he attempted to release spiritual pressure nothing happened.

He glared up at her but she just rolled him over and pushed a gag into his mouth.

"I might not seem like it," she said as she knotted it behind his head, "but we're doing this to help you. I don't want you in this fight, you'll only get hurt."

She stood back and allowed him to stand since there was little he could do now. "Lieutenant Hinamori, keep him safe." she disappeared in flash step and Toshiro ran a step or two after her but one of her men pulled him back. Momo lay a gentle hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off and watched helplessly as the others searched the area, unaware of the incoming threat.

...

Grimmjow knew what was coming. He'd felt the flare of Toshiro's spiritual pressure, now all he needed to do was wait for her to attack. She was fast, but she'd thought she'd caught him off guard. He rolled out of her way and countered her thrust with his own blade.

"A Soul Reaper...and a captain by the looks of it." He growled, pushing her back.

"So you do remember."

"No, just got myself educated on the subject."

"Why are you alive?" She asked as they traded more blows.

"What do you mean?"

"We got word that all the espada had been eliminated, why are you alive?"

"Like I said, don't remember, but maybe we'll find out!" he snarled aggressively, delivering a particularly hard blow that sent Soifon sliding back. She glowered.

"So tell me, what do _you _remember?" Grimmjow inquired, attempting to distract her.

"Excuse me?"

"I know that if you were in the world of the living at the time, you would have lost your memory, so where were you?"

"I was in this world."

Grimmjow was actually surprised. He hadn't expected that.

"So what happened?"

"I got my memories back."

"Like that girl tried to do to Toshiro?"

"Yes. And we will finish the task, then he will have nothing more to do with the likes of you." Her words bit as deep as her sword, he'd let her get to him and blood spilled from his back. He stumbled but blocked the next blow.

"I see. So you'll force him to remember him even if its like torture. I guess that will make up for you leaving him behind in Heuco Mundo."

This time she was the one who faltered and soon blood was pouring out her shoulder.

"Damn you, you don't understand."

"That's what the other one said, but you know, it sounds like an excuse to me. Maybe it will be a good thing for Toshiro to get his memories back, then he'll know what really happened, and how you all betrayed him." Another cut erupted across her chest, dangerously close to her neck.

"Maybe we'll give you your memory back too, and you can see how pathetic you were as a slave to Aizen."

"Shut up!" the fight went down hill from there. Not that one was taking the lead over the other but they both allowed their overheated emotions to turn the fight into a sloppy exchange of blows and parries, punches, kicks and curses.

Soifon tried to regain her calm, her lack of composure was unsightly, especially in front of her men, but Grimmjow had dealt her a fair number of injuries and now the only fighting possible was what tired muscles and painful wounds would allow.

That went for Grimmjow as well. He kept losing sight of Soifon as blood seeped into his eyes and he never hit any vital spots on his opponent. Finally he saw her lower her sword and relax her stance. He stopped too.

"Had enough?" he asked cockily even as he felt his own body succumbing to his injuries.

"I was just about to ask you the same question. I will finish this if you wish, but in any case it will end the same way." he couldn't even respond before they were surrounded in men in black uniforms and short swords. Ichigo and Uryu had already been apprehended and he saw with rage that they had Toshiro bound and gagged.

"You bitch." he said, spotting Momo. But Soifon moved into his line of vision.

"See, its over. You won't be able to fight with a clear head. I can wound you more, or we can end this now and you can come with us. What do you say?"

For the second time since he'd read his profile, he felt the rage described therein. It blinded every other sense, it silenced the voice of caution and reason, and it plunged him into a battle he could not win.

He roared as he collided with her. The men in black flinched at the furry of his attacks but they were reckless, and Soifon easily defended and delivered her own blows in turn. His frustration only grew until he hurled himself at her bodily. She flashed away, faster than he thought possible and captured his sword arm. He tried to yank free but she moved hard and fast in a direction the limb did not want to go and he heard the bone crack and then it was through the skin.

He saw white lights as his sword fell to the ground and he along side it. He managed to stay on his knees but he was essentially immobilized by the pain. He didn't scream but he did hear screeches of rage muffled behind fabric on his behalf. Toshiro's desperate eyes met his. The boy wanted nothing more than to escape and save his friend, and Grimmjow the same. They looked at one another for a moment before Grimmjow's head drooped to his chest, his breaths coming in pain filled rasps.

"I told you it would be better if–"

"Shut up." Grimmjow snarled without raising his head. Another irrational flare of anger surged through him. He very slowly drug himself to his feet.

"You aren't seriously going to challenge me in that state?" Soifon scoffed but raising her sword all the same.

"No, I know I can't win." But he raised his good hand and her eyes flashed wide as she saw the cero coming. It grazed her shoulder but made a crater in the earth at her feet.

She spun but he was gone. A second later though, he fell out of his sodino, struck by two of the men and landed at Toshiro's feet. They wrestled him onto his stomach and he hollered in agony as his broken arm was jostled around brutally. Toshiro began again to fight with everything he had but it was no good.

"Careful." Soifon ordered. "He's done now, aren't you?" she motioned for her men to back off. Grimmjow's looked over his shoulder at her but then his head dropped back into the sandy dirt. He shut his eyes.

"Put a kido around that arm to stabilize it then get him to his feet. We're taking them all back with us."

Toshiro was drug through the Senkeimon first, kicking all the way, Grimmjow next, barely conscious. Uryu and Ichigo who had been forced spectator to the whole ordeal now glanced anxiously at one another but neither resisted because ultimately this would lead to the answers they desired.


	8. Chapter 8

Toshiro slammed back onto the bed for the third time. He flailed wildly and the two men from the stealth squad struggled to pin him down and restrain him without hurting him. His hands were still bound and the gag in his mouth was soaked with his saliva but his small size gave him leverage on the bed and he kept bracing his legs against the sides and arching up away from the restraints.

"You hold him down, I'll put the straps on." one said. A firm hand pressed against Toshiro's stomach but he squirmed and kicked the man square in the jaw. He then thrust his legs in the air and vaulted his top half forward so he landed on his feet in the bed. He made to jump but the second man grabbed for his leg. He only caught the edge of his pants but it was enough to trip him up.

Toshiro fell sideways off the bed, his shoulder smacking down first and then his head cracking against the tile. He rolled onto his back and saw stars. Hot tears escaped his eyes and he didn't know if they were from the pain or the frustration.

"What is going on here?" A woman's voice demanded. Toshiro didn't even move to look at her, his head hurt too much and he was undecided whether he was going to black out yet or not.

"He tried to escape, it was an accident." the men apologized.

"And what is the meaning of those bonds?" she asked, coming to kneel next to him. He still didn't moved.

"Head Captain's order's ma'am. We are to seal his power until further orders."

"Well that doesn't explain this." She said, and he guessed she was indicating the gag. He moaned slightly as her soft, warm hands slipped underneath him and raised him up. He was set back down gently on the bed and skilful fingers quickly untied the gag. He swallowed but said nothing. Her face was still little more than a blur.

"You may leave." she instructed the men. A protest was stared but then silenced by an icy glare and Toshiro heard them leave. He shut his eyes but then opened them immediately when he felt fingertips against his cheek. She wiped away the few tears that had escaped him in the fall.

"Oh Toshiro..." she whispered, pushing her fingers into his hair. Warmth spread along his scalp and his vision cleared slowly. "You are one blessing we never thought we'd have in our lives again."

Then his eyes widened as he saw tears streaming freely down her face. She had just come into focus and he could see the depth of wisdom coupled with strength and ferocity in her eyes, and this sign of weakness shocked him. Why was she crying over him?

She finished healing his head wound and moved to his shoulder. The light touch she laid on it made him flinch in pain. She pulled his shirt down some to reveal the shockingly purple skin. She rested her hand just below and above the wound and let her power work its way to the spot. He watched amazed as it began to numb and fade at once.

"I'm afraid I must leave to attend the other patient." she said rising. He jerked up in the bed at the mention of Grimmjow.

"No. Rest here."

He said nothing and swung his legs over the bed.

She looked at him sadly. "Good night, Toshiro." she brushed her fingers against his forehead and instantly he felt his eyes begin to close. He didn't resist when she lay him on his side and pulled the covers over him. Soon he was asleep.

* * *

Toshiro woke with a start hours later. He was on his side, the only possible comfortable position with his arms tied behind his back. But he had come too because of a powerful presence in the room. He quickly spotted the figure in the doorway. It was dark, nighttime and he barely made out the long beard and white robe.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." He spoke, entering. Toshiro remained silent. His bright teal eyes observed the Commander closely as he came to sit down beside the bed.

"We found the papers with the humans' descriptions on them. I assume you took them from a larger sourced of information."

Toshiro nodded.

"Then you know who you are."

He nodded again.

"Then why do you resist?" Toshiro broke eye contact, the violent memories flashing through his mind, and then his rage at what they'd done to Grimmjow.

The Head Captain sighed. "Ahh, so you have befriended the espada?"

Toshiro met his eyes and his answer was clear.

"This explains your resistence to the truth: once you take back your old life, he will be your enemy once more. He knows this too, he's manipulated you Toshiro. You are young, I'm sure you look up to him, but he is bred of evil, and only evil things can come from him. Eventually, he would have hurt you."

This won the Head Captain no favours. Yes, Grimmjow had lied in the beginning, but that was understandable. What advantage could Grimmjow gain by befriending him, protecting him?

"By controlling you, Toshiro, he has a certain degree of control over us." The Head Captain said as if reading the boy's thoughts. "Indeed, in normal circumstances we would have killed Grimmjow on sight, it was for your sake that we did him no harm."

Toshiro reacted to this. He vividly remembered the sight and sound of Grimmjow's bone ripping through his flesh. The way the Head Captain was talking, he began to doubt that Grimmjow was being taken care of at all. The healing woman implied she was going to tend to him but the Head Captain was giving him an entirely different impression. He swung his legs over the bed and hopped to the floor.

"Where are you going?"

Toshiro looked at him as if to say _do you really need to ask?_, but felt a heavy spiritual pressure descend on him. With his own sealed off it effectively immobilized him. His legs shook but he remained standing.

"Do you want to remember?" The Head Captain asked earnestly.

Toshiro thought to the girl in the sports field, Momo, she nearly cried every time she saw him. Everything she's done until now had only cause him trouble, but he could see the sincerity in her, the love she clearly had for him, and he didn't hate her. But then this man, his supposed commanding officer was dark, and quite frankly, scary.

But yes, in the end, he wanted to know, he wanted to remember. However, if he had many more memories like the first one, he wasn't sure he could handle it. Finally, when he'd come to all these conclusions, he met the Head Captain's eyes and started to say yes but then stopped. Another question came to mind.

"Where were you?"

The Head Captain did not understand, so he clarified, "When it happened, where were you?"

Yamamoto nodded slowly, his spiritual pressure eased up but Toshiro wasn't going anywhere, yet. He wanted to know.

"I was in the world of the living." he said shortly at first, then relented to the deeper meaning behind the question. "Yes, Hitsugaya, I lost my memories too. And being much older than yourself, you may imagine how long a process it was for me to recover them, and how painful it was to do so."

"How did you get them back?"

"Captain Unohana, you met her just before you fell asleep. She is a wonderfully skilled healer and powerful Soul Reaper. Had it not been for her, I doubt that any of us would have our memories back at all. Another Soul Reaper, in fact, your lieutenant, was injured so gravely she needed to be rushed back to Soul Society. Captain Unohana brought her back just before the Cataclysm.

"They were the only ranked officers left in all of Soul Society, and one by one, they found us in the world of the living, brought us back, and began the healing process. It took months, for myself, having so many memories, but others were much faster. But the process is so strenuous that there are still those among us who do not have their full memories back. That is why, Hitsugaya, none of us could search for you. First, we had no memory of what happened to you, and even when we did remember, what happened was unclear. Many of us were badly wounded, unconscious or not there at the moment. There was no reason to think you had gone to Heuco Mundo."

Toshiro knew what happened one year ago, though it floated out of context and was confusing, he knew he had somehow pushed Aizen back to Heuco Mundo, but he did not share this with Yamamoto. Still, the memory of the pain absorbed him for a moment and the Head Captain could plainly see he knew something.

"So Toshiro, you never answered my question. Do you want your memories back?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." Yamamoto stretched out a hand but Toshiro jumped back.

"What? Not now!"

"Why not? The process may take some time, and once you remember, I know you'll regret the delay. We might as well start now, I am as skilled at the task as Captain Unohana."

"NO!" Toshiro cried, not realizing the panic that was welling up inside him. The Head Captain stepped toward him and he made to back up but tripped. He instinctively reached his hands out backwards and struck the tile painfully, his fingers hyper extending and spraining his wrist.

The Head Captain swooped down on him and he was screaming for him to stop but then he felt the old hands close gently around his wrists and the bonds were released. A rush of energy escaped him, the tiles immediately around him glistened with a clear frost. He quieted down when the Head Captain pulled his hands around in front of him and whispered a spell over them. When he was done they were healed, he let go and looked Toshiro in the eyes.

"Tell me, Toshiro, why are you crying?"

Toshiro raised a hand to his face and felt wet streaks on his cheeks. He hadn't even realized but that pain in his chest was coming back, threatening to crush the breath right out of him. He pulled his knees up to his chest and squeezed them tight, pressing his face into them. He felt very small and helpless, and after fending for himself from the moment of consciousness for ten months in Heuco Mundo, he didn't understand why he could be feeling this way now. His breath came in short gasps and he broke into open sobs.

"What did you see, Toshiro?"

Toshiro didn't answer, couldn't answer, the only thing he could manage to gasp out was, "why does it feel like this?"

"Because, whatever you saw, you saw it through the eyes of a child. Of course it was too much to bear. But when your other memories return, so will your ability to cope with the horror of all that Aizen did."

For some reason this just made Toshiro sob harder. "Please..." he managed between gasps, "let me see him."

"It will only reinforce what I am trying correct, Toshiro. You shouldn't get any more attached to him than you already are."

He wrapped his arm around Toshiro but it did nothing to calm him. He was in danger of making himself sick, or passing out. The Commander waited a little longer before sighing and standing up. Toshiro didn't even look up as he left. He didn't know where he'd gone but shortly after he heard the door open again and someone stood before him again. He didn't look until the person squatted before him and reached out to pat his head.

"At it again? Your going to throw up if you don't stop."

Toshiro's head shot up and at once and he took in his friend. Grimmjow was covered in cuts, bruises and bandages and his right arm was bound from shoulder to wrist and hung stiffly against his side but the his other arm slid from Toshiro's head and wrapped around his body. He felt himself lifted up and soon he was back on the bed. Grimmjow sat next to him but kept a supportive arm around his shoulders. Toshiro continued to hug his knees but he leaned into the half embrace. He briefly noticed that the Head Captain and the healer were back.

"I don't have anything for you to read this time." Grimmjow said distantly, but his voice rumbled in Toshiro's ear pressed against the side of his ribs. "I first heard of you about a month after we woke up. It had taken me a while to get used to being king, and I got a lot of reports about things I thought were unimportant but when I heard about you I was intrigued. I remember telling some arrancars to keep their eyes open for you but then I really got interested when I got rumours of some of the top vastal lordes in the forest ending up dead. And every rumour said it was by a child, with white hair and no weapon. That's when I knew I had to find out who you were."

Unoahana glanced between the Head Captain and the quiet scene before them. She knew he was critical of the arrancar but right now, all she saw was kindness.

"It was a month after that, that I discovered the chamber, and read about Soul Reapers. And eventually, I found you. I wasn't sure that's who you were until I actually met you, of course, but still, I guessed. I don't know why I never wanted you killed. Knowing that we were supposed to be enemies, it would have been logical, but it never even crossed my mind. You were too interesting, part of this whole mystery, but more than that, you were out there surviving and kicking ass. How could I not like you? I should have gone out and got you myself, but I sent my top guys. Barely made it to you in time huh?"

Toshiro nodded, remembering the long battle that had almost claimed his life. "And when they did bring you back, I knew you were the Soul Reaper captain I'd read about. The youngest one, and smart. _Dangerously Perceptive_ were actually the words used. Remember reading that? Yeah, I knew we would get along."

The body under his arm was still now. Toshiro sat up straight and pulled away to look up at Grimmjow.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

"For what?" Grimmjow almost laughed.

"For being like this. For being weak."

"Toshiro." Grimmjow said firmly. "You are, without a doubt, the toughest person I know. You've kicked my ass more than once, as much as I hate to admit it. Anything that scares you, scares the Hell out of me, so whatever you saw, I'm sure it was awful."

"What should I do though? What if that memory just keeps coming back?"

"I don't know, but I think you can get past it. We left home in search of answers right? So don't let me stand in your way of that and for Hell's sake don't let this _Aizen _bastard get in your way."

Toshiro just nodded, trying to find his confidence but clearly not ready to try getting his memories back just yet. Instead his eyes went to Grimmjow's arm.

"How does it feel?"

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty numb. They've got this technique called kido they can use to heal. It was a bad break but they said it should only take a week or so to heal."

"Yeah, I read about kido in your books." Toshiro wasn't about to mention that he'd already needed to be healed with it twice since they got here.

There was movement from the other side of the room, the Head Captain came forward.

"I think its time for you to both rest." Though Toshiro had just woken up about an hour ago, he did feel tired again after the panic attack. But he looked at Grimmjow with concern when he slid off the bed and stood.

"Where are you taking him?" the boy demanded.

The Head Captain came to lay a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder. "To his own room."

Toshiro glanced to Grimmjow. He nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about me kid, you get some rest."

"Okay." Toshiro said and lay down on the bed. "See you."

"See ya." Grimmjow allowed himself to be guided out of the room. He gave once last glance at the boy before the door shut behind him. It was just him and the Head Captain now.

"You lied." The Commander said, not hiding his surprise.

"Of course I did." Grimmjow said as they left the healing house and out into the cool night air. "He doesn't need to worry about me on top of everything else."

"How kind of you." but there was no sincerity in the words as he was pushed through the door to another building. He went down a flight of stair until he met spiritually reinforced bars. A guard opened and he entered his dimly lit cell. "I hope for Toshiro's sake that your friendship is sincere." Yamamoto said threateningly as the bars clanked shut. "I don't want to see him hurt more than necessary. However...it presents a complication I'd rather not deal with."

"It doesn't seem that complicated to me." Grimmjow snorted. "I've got no beef with you lot, or the humans. Just let me go and it will be easier all around."

"You really think I should let you go after the things you've done?"

Grimmjow reached up to the bars and grabbed them with his one good arm. "_That_ was another lifetime for me. If you want me to pay for those sins, then why don't you let me remember them and restore my memories?"

"Because it would be a waste of time."

"And why is that?"

"Because, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, as soon as Captain Hitsugaya has all his memories restored, we'll no longer have a use for you."

"You think having his memories back will make him not care if you execute me?"

"Of course. He's a captain of the Gotei Thirteen. If I order him to, he'll kill you himself."

Grimmjow tried to come up with a comeback but failed. He knew it was a lie, but a small fear that had been growing inside him caused him doubt. He looked to the floor.

"That's right, you know it to be true. The child you have manipulated is but a stand in for the real thing. Have a good night, arrancar."

Grimmjow didn't raise his head to watch him leave. He turned to the interior of his dismal cell and slid down the bars until he was sitting on the ground. He winced as pain shot up his arm, the numbing the commander had placed on it so he could visit Toshiro was completely gone now. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**_So you were just such compelling reviewers that I felt guilty leaving you hanging like that, so here you go, my gift to you, another update! Will try to do one for NUMBERS after homework. Keep the comments coming, sorry for beating up our favorites so much, but thats when you get the best emotions! Its all for a reason, I'm not actually evil. Night!_**

**_Riza_**


	9. Chapter 9

The fever struck sometime on the second day. Grimmjow had begun to feel uncomfortably warm in the late afternoon and lay down on stomach trying to absorb some of the cold from the cement floor. He didn't remember blacking out, and he had no idea it was twelve hours before he woke again. The guard had grown suspicious, then blatantly concerned and called for Unohana.

Grimmjow woke on the floor of his cell to find her hovering over him. He was on his back, his head propped up on a pillow and an iv in his arm. His body was covered in sweat and when he tried to move he found his muscles exhausted. His fevered mind could barely recall where he was or what was going on.

"If I had it my way, you'd be back in the fourth division." Unohana was saying, more to herself than him. "But this will have to do." She caught his eyes roaming around and realized he had come too.

"Grimmjow, can you tell me where you are?"

"..." it took him a while to focus on her and then slowly it came back. "Soul Society..."

"Yes. And do you remember who I am?"

"Uno..hana..." he took a deep breath and the air rattled in his chest. But most of all he felt the pain in his arm and the fire on his skin. His eyes trailed down the wounded limb and he saw the stiff bandages had been pulled back and the deep gash from where his bone had broken through was exposed.

"Wha..." but he was too weak to even finish. He swallowed back another rush of pain.

"Shhh." Unohana soothed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't given adequate time to look after you initially. You should have been kept in a sterile environment for at least–"

"My arm...?"

"I will do my best to save it, but it is badly infected and making you very sick."

He grit his teeth and shut his eyes. He managed to lift his good hand to his face and lay like that for a moment. She looked down at him sadly and placed her hand gently over his. It was trembling.

"You really do care about him, don't you?"

He only nodded and swallowed again. She knew he was fighting tears of pain and of the prospect of losing his limb, but she needed to know he was sincere. She pulled his hand down to reveal the ice blue eyes, indeed almost overflowing.

"Say it."

He stared back at her but another flare of pain pushed the tears over the edge and a few streaked sideways down his cheeks and he squeezed her hand involuntarily. She raised her other hand to cup his face but stared back at him with more than a little hint of ferocity. He shut his eyes for a moment to gather his strength to speak.

"I care about him." "Why?"

"...just...do." he nearly growled, anger creeping in as a defence against other emotions.

She was losing him, but her hand kept his head from sagging to the side.

"Why?" she asked again more firmly.

"I just..want..to protect him..." He would have been shouting if he had the strength but she withdrew her hand and lay it against the jagged scar on his right arm. His eyes shot open and he gasped in pain but before he could scream it was gone, just a numb, cool sensation spread over the limb.

His breath shuddered again and he found a spot on the ceiling to stare at.

"...can you save it?" He asked, not wanting to think about the possibility of her saying no.

"I promise you I'll do everything Grimmjow. But first, we need to get your temperature down."

He actually laughed. She looked at him concerned. "What is it?"

"I know someone who could do that easily."

She smiled sadly as she caught his meaning and his eyes but then her smiled broadened.

"Well I know the Head Captain would not allow Toshiro down here, but there is someone else who I think might be able to help."

* * *

The cell door opened with a loud creak and Grimmjow snapped back to reality. He had not lost consciousness, Captain Unohana had made sure of that since she said in his condition it would be dangerous, but he had shut his eyes and given in to the lulling of her healing and listened as she explained every step. She was a complicated woman: strong and undoubtably fierce but comforting, gentle.

Now his head rolled to the side and he saw a girl, looking to be barely in her teens, her face hiding none of her apprehension as she approached.

"Rukia." Unohana greeted warmly. "I am in need of your powers."

"You are Captain?"

"Yes. Now I know you haven't recovered many of your memories but I hear your powers have returned impressively."

"Yes, ma'am, Captain Ukitake says I have reached the level I was before the Cataclysme."

"Excellent. And how is your kido, particularly healing?"

"I have also been informed those abilities are restored in full as well and I have been practising."

"On Renji?"

"He and Ikkaku do like to spend their time sparring."

Unohana and the girl briefly chuckled at this but the healer quickly brought them back to the matter at hand.

"Then I would ask that you use your powers and your kido skills to bring down Grimmjow's temperature."

"I see, so this is the person they spoke of."

"Who?"

"The newcomers, Ichigo and Uryu."

"Ah, yes I wondered what they would say. Now please."

"Yes ma'am." Rukia extended her hands over Grimmjow, smiling down tentatively. He felt nothing at first, then a steady decrease in his temperature. It seeped deep into him, overriding the fever. He sighed as his flesh no longer burned into the floor.

"Very good Rukia, hold him at this temperature please."

"Yes ma'am."

"Grimmjow! Stay awake!" Unohana snapped when Grimmjow's head sagged to one side. He had been so relieved to feel cool that he'd almost given in to sleep.

"...sorry..." he murmured groggily.

"You don't have to apologize, it's not my life on the line." He half smiled at this but his lids were drooping again.

"Grimmjow!"

"Ugh.."

"Then you're going to have to talk to me to prove that you're awake. Tell me a story."

"'bout what?"

She answered cavalierly but it was the perfect opportunity for her to get the answers she wanted. She already knew part of the story, but so far, no one had many details on what had happened to Toshiro or in Heuco Mundo over the last year.

"Tell me about Toshiro."

"I thought you knew him."

"I mean, tell me about the Toshiro you know."

Grimmjow mulled it over for a moment but one word came to mind immediately. "Annoying."

Captain Unohana looked at him surprised and he opened his eyes fully, keeping the pull to sleep at bay.

"If you really knew him, you'll understand. Doesn't matter what I do and say, that little brat always knows what I'm thinking."

At this Unohana smiled and inclined her head. "Yes, he is incredibly perceptive. It is a bit..."

"Annoying." Grimmjow reasserted.

She laughed lightly. "And what else?"

"Quiet."

"Yes, I've noticed he's really only spoken to you. Do you know why?"

"That's the way he was when he came to the palace. At first I wasn't even sure he could talk, but I suppose, out in the forest all that time, who would he have talked to?"

Grimmjow felt a surge and looked to his arm. Unohana was injecting more antibiotics into his iv line. "Keep talking." she ordered. It would be even harder now to stay awake.

"Ummm..." Grimmjow tried to remember what he'd been saying. "I think its sort of a defence..."

"Go on."

"I don't know, I'm not very good at this stuff, but its like he doesn't really talk to you 'til he trusts you, if that makes sense."

"It makes a lot of sense Grimmjow. Could you tell me about the forest? What was Toshiro doing there?"

"I don't know, that's what we thought you could tell us. He just...woke up there..."

"Grimmjow." but he wasn't falling asleep, his eyes had shifted to Rukia. "What is it?"

"I don't know..."

"Then tell me about the forest."

Grimmjow's eyes remained on Rukia. "Its underneath...full of hollows..."

"Grimmjow." Unohana tried to recall his attention but now she saw Rukia's eyes on Grimmjow as well.

"What is it?"

Neither responded. Grimmjow flinched beneath her and she saw Rukia react as well.

"Rukia what is it?" Unohana asked more urgently.

"I don't know...I saw something." her hands started to shake where they hovered over Grimmjow. Both jumped again and this time Rukia let out a small scream.

"What the hell– " but before Grimmjow could finish, they both reeled back and cried out. The moment Rukia dropped her hands it stopped, she was breathing hard and he was clutching his bad arm. His temperature immediately started to rise again.

Rukia grasped her chest. "Your hand..." she whispered accusingly, looking at Grimmjow. He turned back to her.

"You saw it too?"

"You put your hand through my chest!"

"I..."

Rukia jumped up. Unohana looked between them.

"Did you remember something? Both of you?"

But she didn't need an answer to know.

"He tried to kill me!" Rukia said, her voice shaking. "And the orange haired boy..." she added more softly.

"...Ichigo..." Grimmjow managed, the rapid change in his body's temperature made him convulse.

"Rukia, please, you need to push it aside for now." Unohana said, holding Grimmjow's shoulders down. His eyes rolled back. Unohana increased his medications and let her own spirit sedate him and slow the fever but it was no where near as effective as Rukia. Grimmjow's eyes shut and his body arched up off the ground.

"RUKIA PLEASE!"

But all the young Soul Reaper could do was stare in horror at the man dying at her feet.

* * *

Toshiro fidgeted restlessly in the bed. He had finished his third book, he was bored. He hadn't seen any sign of Unohana in over two days now, something was up. The Head Captain had come by once more to check on him but he didn't try to make him take his memories back. Toshiro wasn't quite sure why he was waiting, except that every time he thought about it he felt a pain in his chest.

And he had seen more visions of the ice dragon in the last two nights than he had in the last year. It was this place, he knew.

He jumped off the bed and paced around the room like he had a million times already and came to rest his forearms on the window sill, staring out into the walkways and gardens and all the busy people rushing around in black robes. He knew he could get out this window, but also knew he would not get far: even if he couldn't see them, he knew there were guards watching, inside and out.

"Dammit." he sighed, his breath fogging up the window. He'd felt nothing of Grimmjow's spiritual pressure since he's woken up. It disturbed him. He shut his eyes for a moment until he heard a name echo through the panes of glass where his head rested.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto!" someone called outside and at once Toshiro's head shot up and he peered through the glass.

He knew the name, he'd read her profile, she was supposed to be his lieutenant, incredibly loyal. Maybe if he caught her attention, she'd give him some answers. He lifted the window up but remained casually leaning on the sill. He knew they would catch him immediately but all he needed was for her to see him. Just one flash step was all it would take.

"Where is Captain Unohana? She and I have some business to catch up on." Rangiku said to member of squad four.

"She is unavailable."

The woman, her long hair pulled back behind her shoulders in a pink ribbon, revealing a long, strong jaw, just stared back at him. "You mean she's still with the prisoner?"

"I'm not supposed to say."

"You know she and I have an understanding."

"Yes, ma'am, sorry ma'am. She is with the prisoner."

"This whole time? Its been days."

"He was very ill, and then there was an incident..."

"Rukia. She seemed very shaken up when she returned to the barracks last night."

"Excuse me ma'am, I know its not my place, but I heard Ichigo Kurosaki has returned. Is it true?"

"You're right its none of you business, but since everyone else around here seems to know there's no point hiding the truth. Yes, he is."

"Oh."

"Is everything alright Hanatoro?"

"Y-yes Ma'am!"

"Good, then I must return–"

Toshiro shot out the window into the yard as fast as Grimmjow had taught him. He felt hands on him almost as soon as he'd breached open air but that was what he'd expected. Her reaction however, was not.

He landed with a thud on the grass, someone was above him, blocking his view. But the commotion was enough.

"What is it?" he heard her say and the man above him winced.

"Nothing Lieutenant Matsumoto, please continue with your business."

"No, tell me what's going on."

"I-I can't."

He heard a hitch in her voice. "Oh God...its him isn't it."

Toshiro saw the Soul Reaper's shoulders dropped and soon a slender hand slid over his shoulder to pull him back. Toshiro stared up at the beautiful woman, his gut clenching for no reason he could discern.

She gasped when she saw him, covered her mouth and immediately turned away, crumbling into the embrace of the bewildered Hanatoro. Toshiro remained on the ground, completely shocked but feeling the knot grow tighter inside of him.

Rangiku was sobbing so hard it was difficult to make out her words but Toshiro heard some.

"It's him!" she said over and over until finally she pulled away and face the boy on the ground. He watched her silently, struggling to composed her elf, but for the most part failing. Finally, he pulled himself to his feet but he waited to see what she would do. All plans of manipulating her for answers vanished, he was wrought with an inexplicable guilt.

"C-captain." she gasped out before rushing forward and grabbing him in a tight embrace. She was on her knees and held him as tight as she could without crushing him, the sobs returning in full force. He was utterly at a loss until he felt the powerful riatsu of the Head Commander.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto." the Commander said, loud enough for her to hear over her sobs, but still gently. She slowly slackened her grip around Hitsugaya's small frame and rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Head Captain." She said when she'd calmed herself.

"Its understandable Lieutenant. Please, I was on my way to the fourteenth barracks. If you would like to take over for me, I will carry on here."

"Yes sir." she glanced at Toshiro through red rimmed eyes then hurried along on her way.

Toshiro watched her go feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't resist when the Head Captain guided him back inside.

"I didn't...I didn't mean to upset her..."

"But how did you think she would respond? You know who she is, don't you?"

"Rangiku Matsumoto, my lieutenant."

"And what were you trying to accomplish by confronting her?"

"I wanted to know what's going on with Grimmjow."

He saw the commander's hand clench but no anger transferred to his voice.

"You will be free to see him when you are well."

"I'm not sick."

"You are not yourself. You have lost years of memories, Toshiro, there are things you must know about yourself, about Grimmjow, and as your leader, it is my duty to protect you from the things you don't understand yet. But it is also my duty to protect the others, like Rangiku. You cannot just walk around the Seireitei, your presence affects others, as you witnessed today. And you certainly can't live in this room forever, its no life for you."

"What about the others? You said there were others who don't remember."

"Yes, but all have remember something. Like I said, the process was long, and some found it more difficult that others. For the sake of restoring the Soul Society as quickly as possible, we had to restore as many people as quickly as possible, so those who were struggling were left until last. We are still in the process, and in the time they've had to wait, they chose to remain secluded, to avoid uncomfortable moments like today, until they remember completely."

"So I could–"

"No Toshiro, we lost many in our final battle with Aizen. We need you to be a captain again as quickly as possible. And it would also be unfair to you. Even if they don't remember everything, they will have some memories of you. You would still be uncomfortable."

"So I really have no choice."

"I won't force you to do it."

"Can I talk to him?"

"This must be your decision Toshiro. And once you have your memories back you will be free to see him."

Toshiro nodded slowly. "Alright then, I'll do it."

"Good." The Commander got him to lay down on his back so he would be safe if he did have a reaction. "It should be easier with me." he said soothingly. "Momo is very skilled but no doubt she let her emotions take away some of her focus. I am sure that is why last time, it was so difficult."

Toshiro was knotting his hands in the sheets unconsciously. He felt anxiety welling up but tried to remain calm.

"Can we just start?"

"Of course." The commander stretched out his hands. "We'll start with a short session, try to relax."

"Okay..."

_The white light was all consuming...his soul was tearing...then he was moving backwards, his sword turned solid, the hogyoku was still in Aizen's hand, then they were being pulled backwards, back through whirling darkness to the city...Karakura..._

_Time stopped slipping and he found himself among monstrously tall buildings, and next to him was a boy, his hair naturally orange but the colour deepened by the amount of blood mixed into it. He was wearing the clothes of a soul reapers, torn, ruined, _covered in sweat and _blood. But a triumphant smile was plastered over his face._

"_I've got you now Aizen." he said, before falling to his knees. Toshiro looked up to the man he addressed, Aizen held one hand over his bleeding chest, and the other clasped around the hogyoku. _

_He was dying, but he wasn't done. Toshiro felt his own numerous injuries weighing his body down, but he glanced around, and knew it was up to him. Hyorinmaru hummed in his hands, knowing that even attempting this level of kido could kill him, but he had no choice, Aizen was gathering the last of his strength, in preparation for something..._

"_Toshiro..." he looked sideways at the boy. Ichigo could tell he was about to do something. _

"_Thank you, Ichigo Kurosaki." As the words left his lips he felt an incredible sadness, but it floated, meaning nothing without the other memories. And then he plunged at his opponent, and a white light enveloped them followed by darkness._

Toshiro's eyes opened and he lashed out at the arms holding his body down. For a few moments he thought he was still in the dream, but then it passed and he quieted. There was no pain like the last time, and he stared up at the Head Captain as he caught his breath.

"Are you alright?" The Head Captain asked.

Toshiro nodded.

"Would you like to rest now or continue?"

"I think...I can continue for a little more."

The Head Captain smiled. "Alright, a little longer then."

Toshiro braced himself as he was plunged back into the dreams.

* * *

_**Oh, I should have gone to bed hours ago...**_


	10. Chapter 10

Grimmjow woke with a start on the cool stone tile of his cell. His head was cushioned on something soft and a light blanket covered him. He didn't remember what had happened until he tried to move and every muscle flared in pain and protest.

"Shit..." he muttered.

"Shit is right." He heard a woman's voice but it was not Unohana. "I hear you nearly didn't make it."

He rolled his head to the side and saw a tall woman with long locks of auburn hair pulled tightly back behind her head. She had a pink sash draped about her shoulders and lieutenant's badge that identified her with the tenth squad.

"Rangiku Matsumoto." he said when his tired mind remembered what he'd read back in the secret chamber.

"Correct." she said, taking a step closer. "And you are the one who's had my captain all this time." She said with not so hidden malice in her voice.

"Just the last few months..."

"Hmmm. I suppose I should thank you for bringing him back."

"I suppose you should." he mustered as much sarcasm as possible.

"Alright then." She bent down and whipped the blanket off of him. He jumped in shock then gasped in pain but froze completely when she ran her fingers down his torso.

"What are you..."

A long index finger was pressed against his lips and he felt a cool rush of energy spread down his body in the wake of her other hand. After only a few seconds she withdrew and he remained stunned for a few moments more before attempting to move. The pain was gone, with the exception of the ever present dull throb that came from his right arm.

"Now we're even." she said as he sat up.

"But, you're not in the Fourth division."

"Neither is Rukia Kuchki but she saved your life yesterday even after she remembered what you did to her and Ichigo. Sometimes necessity dictates that we operated outside of our normal zones of comfort. I've done a lot of that since the day Aizen died."

"You don't call it the _Cataclysme_?"

"No. It was the blessing, even with so much loss." her words were hard but masked a deeper pain.

"Okay, so why are you here?"

"I was intrigued by you. And Captain Unohana had been down here for days so I sent her to get some rest."

"You sent her? Aren't you her subordinate?"

Rangiku smiled oddly. "I may be a lieutenant, but for a while the whole of the Soul Society depended on just the two of us. She and I have an understanding."

Grimmjow nodded, though he didn't really understand.

"What's happening out there? Did the kid take his memories back?"

"He's started, but it takes a long time."

"I see."

Rangiku watched him for a moment and he could see her hostile demeanor fading away bit by bit. The process was hard on her as well.

"I don't understand." she said softly.

"What?"

"You." She sighed long and he waited for her to continue. "Unohana told me she's sure you really do care about him. She says we need to..."

"Need to what?"

"...protect you."

"What?"

"I'm sure you are aware of the Head Captain's intentions."

Grimmjow made a noise as he swallowed anger and nodded.

"Well then, the only person who can really judge whether you're sincere or not is my captain. When he get's his memories back, he'll be able to tell whether you were manipulating him or not."

"I wasn't."

"Like I said, he'll know."

"There is one other option."

"What?"

"Give me my memories back. Then I'll know who I was before and why you've got me locked up in this basement."

"Do you really need your memories back to know? I was under the impression you had read up on the subject."

Grimmjow sighed in annoyance and moved so he could lean against the wall. "I know." he said exasperated, as if he'd known his ploy would fail from the beginning.

He looked up to the woman and caught her staring back at him oddly.

"What?"

He jumped when she disappeared one instant and reappeared just before him the next.

"Its not that I don't want to." She said, just inches from his face. "Don't you think we all want to know what happened to you, how you survived?"

"You really don't know?"

"No. The last ones to see you were Ichigo and Orihime and they swore you were dead. But their memories are gone now, there is no way to know."

"Huh..."

Rangiku withdrew suddenly and turned to leave.

"Wait."

"What?"She looked over he shoulder at him and the hostility had returned to her eyes. The stared at one another for a moment before Grimmjow broke her gaze and sighed.

"Nothing."

The mysterious lieutenant didn't wait a second longer before turning away and leaving the confused espada behind her.

* * *

Toshiro woke feeling incredibly groggy. He was curled on his side under blankets and it was pitch black...this didn't make sense...

Then it all came back. The screaming, the agony. The Head Captain had pulled him back to reality immediately, but it kept going, kept playing over in his mind, those last moments when his very soul was exploding. Toshiro hadn't understood, he had been moving backwards, so why had he returned to that memory? In the end, the Head Captain had sedated him. It must have been hours ago.

"Toshiro?" the voice was Yamamot's, and he found the elderly man in an comfortable chair in the corner, a lamp on, writing something. But now he stood and came to his side.

"I don't understand..." Toshiro whispered hoarsely.

"I am sorry. No one else displayed this phenomenon, returning to one memory more than once. You were progressing nicely, then it happened. Again, I apologize."

There was silence for a moment then the Head Captain spoke again. "What is the memory? I feel that if this is going to continue, I must know."

Toshiro just nodded and rolled onto his back. The memory was painful but he was trying to see the details. "Aizen and I are in a desert..." he went over what Aizen said to him, and then the collision of their swords with the Hogyoku. "But this last time...it was like there was something more, something he said to me as we were both being consumed by the power. But I can't hear it. I don't know what it was but..."

"But you believe it is important, and that is why your mind keeps returning to it."

"Yes."

"Thank you Toshiro, for trying, but it is the middle of the night, you should sleep for a few more hours." The Head Captain stood up and hurried out of the room. Toshiro watched him with the distinct feeling that he himself was not going to bed.

* * *

Grimmjow sat up when he heard the bars open. He'd just fallen asleep, he'd still been mulling over Rangiku's visit, but then he saw the Head Captain towering above him. He stood.

"What do you want?" he asked, the gruffness of his voice hiding the edge of anxiety that crept over him.

"There is something about that memory. Toshiro told you about it right?"

"About Aizen in the desert. Yea. It explains why he woke up out there at least."

"But not why his mind keeps returning to it."

"You made him go through that again?"

"Yes, and you are going to help me avoid doing it for a third time." Grimmjow didn't even know the Head Captain had moved until her was slammed against the wall. He couldn't help the scream that escaped as his right arm struck unforgivingly.

"What do you mean?" He gasped, glaring at those eyes so close to his face.

"Only one other person was in Heuco Mundo at that time...only one other might know what happened and what is so important."

His hands slid from Grimmjow's torso to his temples. Blue eyes squinted in absolute hatred at the Head Captain but Grimmjow knew there was no choice,

"Do it."

_Grimmjow was in the sand. It covered everything, it filled his nostrils and he spit out clumps of it. He was trying to get up but a terrible wound kept him on his back. He'd been here for hours, maybe even days, he couldn't remember...the kid with orange hair, no but he had left, it was another, with a wide smile and an eye patch. He'd struck him unexpectedly, someone who was supposed to be his ally..._

_Then he saw a light and felt the ripple of disturbance out in the desert. He'd thought the whole world was dead, there had been only silence this whole time. It was enough to make him struggle past the terrible pain to get to his feet in hopes of seeing what it was._

"_What the.." he ignored the wounds that barely permitted him to walk and staggered over the dune before him. _

_Just as he crested the top he saw them. Aizen was swinging back his sword, the boy Soul Reaper was racing to counter. Grimmjow heard the clash of their swords, and an instant later a white light erupted from them. He had no time to move as it spread like a shockwave across the land._

Grimmjow woke to his own screams. He slid down the wall the second the Head Captain stepped back, his right arm sending shocks of pain through him but it was the only thing to snap him back to reality. He looked up, his eyes reflecting the sheer terror he'd felt in his memory.

"What did you see?" The Head Captain demanded, staring down at him.

Grimmjow just shook his head, trying to come to grips with the memory. He couldn't even begin to describe what he had just been feeling.

"Grimmjow, what did you see?"

The Head Captain bent down and clamped a fist around the break. Grimmjow yelped but was effectively immobilized from struggling and his attention forced on the man before him.

"Grimmjow."

"I don't know how to explain..."

A squeeze, another scream.

"Screw you! You Son of Bitch Soul Reaper piece of–SHIT!" he screamed the last curse as the ancient hand gripped so tight the bandages became soaked with blood once more. When the Head Captain didn't let up he began to struggle furiously.

"Enough Grimmjow!" The Head Captain let go of his arm and he calmed a bit, more to stabilize the wound than in obedience. Sweat beaded over his body and he gasped in pain but there was no escape from his interrogator. He turned his head to the side in the only act of defiance he could make.

"Grimmjow." The Head Captain began more calmly, though Grimmjow knew he was desperate to get answers. "What did you remember?"

"The desert." Grimmjow began, his voice trembling in anger and still staring at the opposite wall. "I was injured, something about a fight with Ichigo...but it was another espada that wounded me the worst."

"And why would he do that?"

"I don't know...I didn't really see that part, but its sort of still _there_ kida floating in my memory."

"Continue."

"I saw a flash of light, I felt the spiritual energy. I got up, went up a sand dune and then..."

He shook his head as if trying to get rid of the memory.

"What Grimmjow?"

"I don't know...a white light hit me, there was...pain..."

"But why? No one else felt this, yet we all lost our memories. There is something we are missing, what happened?"

"I don't know!"

"There must be something more!"

"There isn't!" Firm hands were on either side of his head and azure eyes went wide,

"No don't!"

"Tell me what I need to know!"

_Grimmjow was plunged back into his memories. This time he started back further, flashes of his battle with Ichigo, Orihime was there too, and then another espada...Nnoitra...then all that time laying in the sand...then it started again, the power, the dune, the two warriors and the lige. He felt himself burning up, being engulfed in whatever it was. Pantera screamed but somehow a voice reached him...not of his soul, but one he knew very well..._

_But it was too much. The pain, the power, the terror of what was happening to him..._

He snapped back for a second, breathing hard, but the Head Captain would not let up, and he was pulled back instantly, as if he had never left.

_Why was it lasting so long? Why was he not just falling over, losing his memory, and starting from what he considered, the beginning of his life? Why did it keep torturing him, and what was that voice?_

"_You will save me..." it hissed. And suddenly he saw the face of his master before him. He was a mere whisper of life, a ghost in the hollow word, transparent, floating, untouchable. Grimmjow thought that if he breathed too hard, maybe the man would disappear completely, gone with the wind. But the ephemeral being held something glistening and solid. In his hand was sliver dust. He looked down at it sadly._

"_There is no way to separate them now..." Grimmjow stared at the dust, it looked like diamond dust, it looked like a soul. _

"_So he killed you?" Grimmjow had found his voice again, the white light still enveloped them but all was silent in the presence of the Lord of Las Noches and Grimmjow could only feel the cold._

"_Yes, but you will bring me back."_

_Grimmjow was shaking his head. "No. I don't want this anymore. I don't want you. Just die."_

"_No Grimmjow, one so great as me can never just die. Especially while you live."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I am a soul, Grimmjow, just like you, just like all of them. My body may have been reduced to this pathetic state but that doesn't mean I can't get my powers back. I just need somewhere safe to hide, somewhere to get strong again."_

"_No, I'll finish this now." Grimmjow raised his hand but before anything could happen, he felt a ghostly palm against the left side of his chest. _

"_Here is the perfect place, you are a creation of my own power after all. And since you are a hollow, its not like you have a heart..."_

_He held up the hand of dust and slammed it into Grimmjow's flesh before he could react. He looked down in shock as the particles, the hand and the whole of the ghost Aizen disappeared inside him. Then there was nothing._

"GET IT OUT!" Grimmjow screamed, his left hand clawed at his chest, ripping bandages until his fingers bit into tender flesh. The blood was already flowing before the Head Captian stopped him. But he couldn't be contained. Not by the pain in his arm or his chest, or the exhaustion of the whole ordeal. He shoved off the wall trying to escape Yamamoto, trying to get free.

"Grimmjow stop!" but he wouldn't listen, he bucked and flailed and did everything he could to escape the Head Captain's hold. He blasted a cero that missed but sent debris flying. Yamamoto reacted and let his captive slip free. Grimmjow slammed himself into the bars in his race to get away. He didn't seem to care though as he fell back on the ground, already digging at his chest again. His eyes were glazed, he didn't seem to be aware of anything else.

"GRIMMJOW!" The Head Captain had him pinned flat to the ground now, first with his own body weight, then with his spiritual pressure. Yamamoto came to his feet, chest heaving and stared down at the twitching body of the arrancar.

He had not expected this sort of reaction, so violent whereas Toshiro's had been emotional. He watched Grimmjow for a few moments longer before reaching down and touching his head. He watched Grimmjow's eyes turn from crazed to panicked, but he seemed to know where he was. He remained immobilized but when the Head Captain reached down to touch his right arm he flinched in anticipation.

"Wait, just wait..." he hissed desperately but the Head Captain closed his fingers around the limb all the same. Grimmjow shut his eyes, waiting for the pain, but then he felt the healing begin. The spiritual force pinning him down lifted but he remained still as the Head Captain worked. Eventually he moved from the arm to his chest, and then to the other wounds Gimmjow had reopened. He sat back and Grimmjow just watched him, feeling warm, and so exhausted his eye lids were drooping.

"What happened in that desert?" The old man asked, now gentle, quiet.

Grimmjow took a moment tp check out his arm. The bandages were off but there was no trace of the gash and when he moved it hesitantly, though stiff, he found the bone mended as well. His first sentiment was shock at the power the Head Captain possessed and then confusion at this act of kindness after all the other cruelties. He lay flat once more and looked up at the bushy browed commander. What would he do if he told the truth?

"Aizen happened."

"What do you mean?"

"He and the kid were fighting, there was an explosion... then I heard his voice. I was screaming, but I could still hear him..."

"What did he say?"

Grimmjow hesitated, but as much as he suspected the Head Captian might kill him if he told the truth, he also had an overwhelmingly sick feeling at the thought of Aizen being inside him. "Before I tell you, I need to say one thing."

The Head Captain inclined his head.

"It wasn't a lie. I wasn't trying to manipulate the kid, I just liked him. If I'm going to die, then I just wanted to say that."

"And why do you think you are going to die, Grimmjow?"

"Because, I think...Aizen is inside of me."

* * *

**_So I think I'm a bit obsessed, but I see you are all enjoying the updates so I figured I'd try to keep them up if possible. Thank you so much for the all reviews, and the detailed reviews, it feels really good that people take the time to let me know how they feel about the story. There is still plenty of story left with this one...it took me in a direction that I didn't expect and has consequently become ridiculously long...but I guess that is a happy surprise. So keep reading and I will keep writing! Thanks again._**

**_Riza_**


	11. Chapter 11

What Grimmjow had expected had not happened. The Head Captain had stared at him for a long moment, then asked him to elaborate. He explained everything, and they came to the same conclusion.

"Hyorinmaru was in that dust just as much as Kyōka Suigetsu."

"I think." Grimmjow said, but almost certain of it.

"It would explain why the boy has nearly his full powers but cannot manifest the blade. If it were simply destroyed, it could be made again...but trapped such as it is..."

"So..."

"Why are you still alive?"

"Yeah.."

"Because killing you could be just as much of a mistake as letting you live, but more permanent. As far as I know, killing you is what he needs to escape back into physical form, or maybe he'd take over your body."

Grimmjow felt his stomach starting to turn at the thoughts. His chest felt suddenly full, even though he knew it was just his mind tricking him. He kept thinking he felt something there.

"I think I'm going to be sick." he said but a hand closed over his eyes and then he knew nothing more.

When he woke, he was on a bed in a white room, one entire wall made of glass. Though there was no way to tell for certain looking around, every instinct told him he was deep underground.

The door opened and a blonde man stepped through. He had a chart and papers in his hands and didn't realize Grimmjow was awake until he asked who he was.

"Ah, you're up."

"I said, who are you?"

"Hmm, interesting question, I've been wondering that myself for more than a year now."

Grimmjow could tell straight away that he would probably never get a straight answer out of this guy.

"Okay, I'll start, my name is Grimmjow, the sixth espada. Your turn."

"Hmm, so you still refer to yourself by the rank he gave you–"

"Oh for Hell's sake, what is you're friggin' name and where are we?"

The blond man chuckled but Grimmjow just glared at him until he spoke. "My name is Kisuke Urahara, and that's about all I know except that I was a brilliant scientist who made many innovations for the Soul Society, and, fortunately, kept meticulous notes." He held up a bunch of creased and yellowed pages bunched together in his hand.

"As for where we are, we are in the twenty sixth sub level of the twelfth division research lab. And, now that you're awake..." He walked over and snapped a black band around Grimmjow's wrist, "there, now you are quite secured."

"So this is...?" he held up the wrist that had been encircled.

"A spiritual seal."

"I see, probably a good idea."

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "No protests?"

"No, I don't know much about this Aizen character, but he did try to destroy the world, so the thoughts of him...you know...in me creeps me out. But I also don't want him getting lose."

"Ah, I couldn't have asked for a better attitude. Now then, down to business eh? How are those wounds?"

Grimmjow looked himself over but there were really only a few bandages left and the pain in his arm was virtually gone now.

"Fine."

"Good."

"So what do we do?"

"For now, nothing much. I'll run a few tests, give us some options to consider..."

"You make it sound like this isn't serious."

"Oh it's serious, we all know that, but there's no point in getting all mopey about it."

Grimmjow didn't like this answer very much and couldn't decide what he thought of the man but decided to let it drop and let him do the tests.

It was true, there was very little Urahara could do to determine the state of things inside Grimmjow's chest, but he called in a little help from a pair of familiar humans.

"What're they doing here?" Grimmjow asked, though not particularly bothered to see the orange haired boy, though he still had something of a grudge against Uryu.

"I have borrowed a piece of equipment from the human world," Kisuke began. "But since they are the experts, I thought I would let them help."

"Experts? They're kids." Grimmjow said even as he clapped Ichigo on the shoulder in greeting.

"My dad's clinic remember? And Uryu's father owns a hospital."

"Well, then I stand corrected." Grimmjow said with not too subtle sarcasm in his voice. But it dropped when he took in the boys seriously for a moment. "What have they been doing to you?"

"Nothing." Ichigo said. "We've been staying in the fourteenth barracks, there are other people there who haven't remembered everything yet."

"Other people?"

"Okay, other Soul Reapers. I've learned a lot though."

"I believe you met Rukia Kuchki." Uryu said behind them. Grimmjow stepped past Ichigo to look down on Uryu.

"She tell you what she remembered?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"It only confirms what I've said before." Uryu replied.

"Tch." Grimmjow turned his back on the teen. "Its true though." he said after a moment. "I am an arrancar after all."

"What does it matter now?" Ichigo said, trying to lighten the mood. "You can start over, its your chance."

"It doesn't work that way kid, the past will always catch up to you." he raised his hand to his chest and Urahara stepped in.

"Okay, well let's get started then shall we?"

They left the white room for another one down the corridor. This was the first Grimmjow had seen beyond his room but it seemed every doorway and every stairwell was guarded heavily, as if Aizen might explode out of him at any second.

They came to a room that looked exactly like a hospital room from the human world.

"Wow." Ichigo exclaimed. "Its like you transported an entire room."

"Well, it wasn't quite that simple but..."

Uryu and Ichigo shot him a look and he just laughed. Then he guided Grimmjow to a table at the foot of a large machine and had him lay down.

"It's an MRI." Uryu said.

"Umm, I don't know how to use this, this is way bigger than anything in the clinic." Ichigo said hesitantly approaching.

"Its alright." Kisuke said. "I figured as much. Plus, I've read the manual..."

Uryu and Ichigo just looked at each other. Grimmjow pushed himself onto his elbows, looking alarmed.

"Wait, you _do _know what you're doing right?"

"Relax!" Kisuke said, pressing him flat again and sliding the table into the narrow opening. Grimmjow tensed but his body only went partway in and he could still see out. Still, it was incredibly claustrophobic.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked, his voice echoing back all around him in the metal tube.

"About half of an hour. Just relax and don't move or we'll have to start all over again."

"Fine, get on with it then."

The other three stepped into the small observation room and stared at a desk of controls. Urahara seemed to know what he was doing, and flicked a few switches and the machined hummed to life.

"So what are you looking for exactly?" Uryu asked.

"What, you don't know?" Urahara turned. "I thought you'd been briefed."

"No, we were just told that the chief scientist needed some help with human technology."

"Oh, well, its quite the puzzle actually." Urahara began excitedly. "The Head Captain was restoring some of Grimmjow's memories and they discovered that he has the shards of two zampakutos in his chest."

"Zampakutos..." Uryu said... "You mean, oh shit!" Just as the realization struck they heard the scream. "Shut it off!" he cried.

Ichigo grabbed for the handle to the door when the second scream ripped out of the man now writhing on the table and trying to push himself out of the machine.

"STOP IT!" Uryu cried. Urahara obeyed and Ichigo ran into the other room, Uryu right behind him. They yanked the table out and found Grimmjow breathing hard and clutching his chest. But the moment Urahara entered the room he pushed past the humans and leapt onto him.

"What the HELL?" He screamed in fury as they both fell to the ground.

"Grimmjow!" he ignored the teens behind him, lost in his fury. But Urahara was clearly more powerful and had him rolled onto his back in a second. With no spiritual pressure, Grimmjow had no chance, but Kisuke was not interested in hurting him. He just stood up and waited for Grimmjow to calm down before offering him a hand.

"I apologize, it seems I miscalculated something."

"No, simple physics." Uryu interrupted. "The zampakutos are as much metal as they are spiritual and an MRI Is essentially a giant magnet. Just how far into that manual did you read?"

"Shit." Grimmjow said, leaning back on the table after he finally accepted Urahara's help in standing. "It felt like something was trying to rip out of me..."

"Again, I apologize." the scientist said.

"No." Grimmjow said.

"What do you mean, no? Its going to be hard for us to work together if you don't forgive me."

"No, I mean, don't apologize. This is it. This is how you can get it out of me."

Everyone just stared at Grimmjow.

"If we wanted to kill you, there would be much less cruel ways to go about it." Urahara said darkly.

"No, think about is Kisuke, I have no heart, there are no vital organs there to be damaged. It could work."

No one answered, it was truly a gruesome concept but they couldn't help agreeing that it seemed a viable option. Surgery could never get all the pieces out for sure.

"I'll have to discuss it with the Head Captain." Urahara said finally. "Let's get you back to your room."

Urahara was an eccentric man, and Grimmjow knew very well that he didn't follow all the rules he was supposed to. He finally decided that he did indeed like him when he let Uryu and Ichigo stay for more than an hour after the MRI experience. It was the first chance he'd had to hear about the Soul Society and what was happening beyond his cell. But of all their stories about the people they met in the barracks: the bald and aggressive Ikkaku, the annoying Renji and his overprotectiveness of the quiet Rukia– ultimately, Grimmjow was only interested by one person.

"We haven't seen Toshiro at all." Ichigo said, and Grimmjow sighed.

"Well, there was that one day." Uryu interjected.

"What?" Grimmjow demanded.

"Rangiku, she's the one who runs the baracks most of the time–"

"I met her, she's his lieutenant."

"Well, one day she was really upset, it didn't take much to figure out what was wrong."

"She saw him, and he didn't remember." Grimmjow said knowingly. He could imagine it, the woman had been rather brisk with him but her emotions shone clear on her face.

"Exactly."

Grimmjow filled them in on what little he knew, mostly of Unohana, Rangiku and the Head Captain, and then they were separated again. He lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been a long few days of this, but now the prospect of having those shards pulled out of him was something to...look forward to, and to fear slightly. In the end, he was only staring at the ceiling for about an hour before Kisuke returned, with the Head Captain.

"You've decided?" Grimmjow asked anxiously, trying to gauge the expressions of both men.

"We have." the Head Captain said, "And since there is no way of telling just what is happening while the shards are in you, we have decided it would be best to pull them out."

Grimmjow just nodded, not sure if he was glad or not.

"When?"

"Now."

He nodded again, he supposed there was no point in waiting.

"There is one other thing." The Head Captain added seriously.

"What?"

"I will be bringing Toshiro with me."

"What, why? He doesn't need to see this." Grimmjow protested.

"On the contrary, if Hyroinmaru is indeed in there as well, then he does. He may be able to reform the blade. In any case, it is his zampakuto, so he should be present."

"Can I talk to him first, so he know's what's happening."

"He's already been informed."

Grimmjow grit his teeth but the Head Captain ignored him.

"Please prep him, Urahara."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Grimmjow lay a bit nervously on the table. Kisuke had just finished strapping him down, assuring him it was just a precaution and that he would be unconscious the whole time. He heard the door open and someone else entered.

"Grimmjow, how are you feeling?" Unohana stepped in his line of vision and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ready for this to be over." he said shortly, she could see the anxiety he was trying so vainly to mask and smiled at him warmly.

"I wanted to explain what is going to happen."

"I know what's going to happen. We're going to turn on this machine and those things are going to rip out of my chest."

"Yes but its not quite so simple. I will be putting you to sleep with a powerful sedative and I will pre-administer a pain killer. When the procedure is finished, I and my team will heal you. When you wake up, you shouldn't feel much more that a bit or soreness. Alright?"

She spoke to him almost condescendingly but he couldn't help give into the comfort and trust she was offering.

"Okay." he answered. She nodded and withdrew and when she came back she had two long needles.

"Here is the sedative." she said, pushing the needle into his arm. As soon as she pulled it back out he felt the drowsiness and barely heard he say she was administering the pain killer. The room blurred into a greyish tinge and he vaguely felt himself sliding into the machine before everything went dark.

* * *

"Are we ready?" the Head Captain asked with Kisuke and Unoahana entered the control room. They nodded and Kisuke reached for the switch. He briefly glanced at the white haired boy who sat on a stool staring out at the machine.

"Here goes." Uraraha flipped the switch and the procedure began.

Unohana had not been lying. Grimmjow made no sound and the only movement was the involuntary jerks of his body as the shards released. It took a little more than half an hour for them to be sure all were out.

Only the Head Captain entered the room while the machine was still running. He used kido to collect the exposed shards from the magnetic hold of the MRI. When he had them gathered in a glowing orb in the air next to him, he nodded and the machine was shut down.

Unoahana hurried in, a few more healers entered as well. Toshiro tried to follow but Kisuke restrained him.

"Wait for them to finish." he soothed. Toshiro tried just once to shake him off then gave up to watch them work.

Unohana stared down at the mess that was Grimmjow. The pieces of the blades had been so tiny that there was no one hole but millions of microscopic ones that let the blood flow freely and had pierced his collar bone and rib cage making them incredibly weak. He was still breathing, so they had not touched his lungs, but he was in grave condition. She was glad she had insisted on this many healers.

Behind her, the Head Captain stared at the orb of kido. Inside was no evidence of Aizen, just silver dust.

"Toshiro." he commanded, walking back to the control room to shield him from the sight of his bloodied friend. "Please, hold out your hands."

"Is that...?"

"Some of it is Hyorinamru. If you are able to reform the blade again then all that will be left is Aizen's power and then it can be safely contained. Try to focus on Hyorinmaru."

"Okay..." He stretched out his hand and the dust filtered through the glowing orb into a neat pile in his palms. It was surprisingly heavy, but then, two Katana's worth of metal wouldn't be light.

He stared at the shards for a bit, they reminded him of home– or rather, Hueco Mundo, the silver sands that stretched to infinity, but this was even finer, and captured the florescent lighting of the room to glimmer back almost white. His bright teal eyes widened as he made out two distinct tones, one more silver while the other just a bit lighter and he knew this was his sword.

He focussed on the purity of it, the white light like snow. The cold. He did everything he could to reach out to the lost blade, that lost piece of himself.

"Toshiro?" He hadn't realized he'd been standing so lost in thought for at least ten minutes. He looked up at the Head Captain.

"I don't know, I don't feel anything."

"Try once more."

Toshiro glanced at the table where the healers still worked but obeyed. He went back to the memory that haunted him, back to that agonizing moment when his sword was destroyed, but he knew that that was the only genuine moment he had to his connection with his zampakuto. It was working. He was feeling the pain and panic, but he was also feeling a swell of cold power rushing around him.

"Good Toshiro."

He head but did not open his eyes. He just kept thinking about that moment, and reversing it, so instead of seeing his blade torn to shreds he played the memory back as if it were forming. The weight in his hands shifted, he could feel it spreading evenly outward, the surface on his palms turning flat and smooth rather than grainy...

"LOOK OUT!"

"GRIMMJOW!"

"IT CAN"T BE!"

Toshiro's eyes snapped open but it took a second to comprehend what was happening. The healers were all on the ground. The Head Captain had his sword raised and from the table, a form was rising, but it was not Grimmjow. Grimmjow was on the ground as well, somehow pulled back to consciousness. He was gasping and still breathing and slowly turned to see what Toshiro and Head Captian were staring at above him.

"No..."

The ghost on the table swung its legs off the edge and stood. Toshiro felt himself trembling in its dark spiritual pressure.

"Go back to Hell Aizen!" the Head Captain swung but his blade felt through the body harmlessly.

"No thanks, Yamamoto." He raised a hand but it was not directed at the Commander. Instantly he was before Toshiro, and the transparent hand was on top of his own, against the smooth patch of blade that had formed.

"I could not save all the pieces." Aizen said while Toshiro stared up at him in shock, the blade still slowly coming to life in his hands.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Only one blade can be formed from these shards, and I can assure you, I will not allow it to be Hyorinmaru."

The hand became a little more solid and pressed firmly against Toshiro's.

"No!" He cried trying to back away and again the Head Captian tried to attack but in a rush the form of Aizen was gone.

Toshiro stood rooted, his eyes wide in shock, his mouth open in a silent scream.

"Toshiro?" The Head Captain reached for him but there was a blazing white light and the katana finally took form in his hands. It was incredibly long, a deep grey silver but with a remarkable white light that shimmered off the surface. The handle was an intertwining of purple and green.

"No..." the Head Captain breathed, realizing what had happened. "They've fused."

"That's right old man!" The voice was harsh but came out of the lips of the boy. He clutched the blade triumphantly and Yamamoto didn't see his black eyes until he was hurling across the room. The next second, the small, menacing figure was before Grimmjow.

"Get out of him." Grimmjow demanded, still bleeding heavily. The mutated version of his friend just laughed before grabbing Grimmjow by the shoulder.

"Ah Grimmjow, my last soldier. You did your duty, you kept me alive, now, join me once more."

Grimmjow had no choice, he felt the grip tighten and the room disappeared.

* * *

**_Well, poor heroes, but at least they are reunited..sort of..._**

**_Also, when reading manga chapter 423, yes sad, but two thoughts occured to me: if Ichigo ever wants to see Rukia again she just as to put on her gigai, and secondly, Orihime's power to heal is really the power to reverse time on her subject, so couldn't she just do that to Ichigo and take him back to before he used up all his powers/went to the precipice world...? Anyway, just venting my thoughts, though I think this could be an interesting story line, could take things in a very different direction since usually Ichigo is the most powerful. And here's hoping that Grimmjow turns up again...perhaps as an ally? I mean, look at how Renji adn Ichigo became friends (or for that matter Zarakai, Byakuya, Ikkaku, Uryu...see a trend?)_**

**_Okay, ttfn, _**

**_Riza_**


	12. Chapter 12

Grimmjow rolled to a stop in cold wet ground. It took him a second to realize it was snow, and they were far outside the Seireitei. There was nothing but snowy fields in all directions.

Toshiro was heaving with fatigue a few metres away. He still had the massive sword clutched in his right hand. His black eyes trailed across the blood specked snow to where Grimmjow lay unmoving. The healers had been no where near finished and he was still losing blood. The only reason he hadn't passed out from the pain was because of the painkiller Unohana had thankfully given him. As the black eyed Toshiro approached he pushed himself to his knees but could go no further.

"This will not do." Toshiro said in his frighteningly deep and dark voice.

"Aizen..." Grimmjow hissed but he was fading fast. He felt the small hand on his wounded chest and a surge of energy. But only a second later, the boy recoiled. Grimmjow gasped at the false healing and clamped his right hand over the wound again. His body was shaking from the blood loss and cold.

"This is no good." Aizen hissed through Toshiro's lips. "This boy is resisting my presence, and he's fighting for control of this weapon. I will have to take on physical form to gain complete control."

"Then do it!"

"Not until I get the power I need from him. He has a wealth of untapped potential that is perfect. When I've taken all I need, I will separate and be just as solid as the two of you."

"What will happen to him?"

"Nothing, for as long as I am alive."

Grimmjow stared back at him puzzled so he continued. "Hyorinmaru is half of this sword, if I killed Toshiro, my weapon would be destroyed, but like this, not only do I have my powers, but his..." he smiled gleefully and looked around at the snow. "See this, the first snow, so beautiful. I can feel his connection to it, his ability to draw power from it, but now its mine, now all this beauty before you is my power!"

His word bit almost as deep as the cold seeping into Grimmjow's body. He stared at the contrasting figure of white and dark above him until finally the cold won out and he fell forward into the soft embrace of the snow.

* * *

When Grimmjow next woke, the painkiller had well worn off and he couldn't suppress the scream that ripped out of him when he first moved. He gasped sharply but even breathing hurt. His whole body was stiff and sore and he just barely managed to lift his head to look himself over. His chest was bandaged over but no spiritual healing had taken place. He was on a bunk in a small room. A fire crackled nearby and he finally made out the shivering form of the white haired boy.

"Toshiro?"

"Wrong."

"Aizen."

"That's _Lord_ Aizen to you."

Grimmjow gulped back his anger and another flood of pain. "What's wrong with you?"

"Its just the transition."

"Oh, that explains everything." Grimmjow whispered sarcastically, though even this effort seemed to hurt him.

"You've lost a lot of blood, stop talking and rest." Aizen commanded.

"Why do you care?"

"You are the last of my creations, Grimmjow, as your King, I can't just abandon you."

Grimmjow just snorted but the sound ended in a whine of pain. He did as he was instructed and stopped talking but watched the struggling boy by the fire. The longer he sat there shivering, the longer it looked as if a ghostly shape were glowing about him. But Grimmjow couldn't watch any longer as his eye lids closed.

* * *

Grimmjow couldn't tell how much time passed, or how many days as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Though his chest hurt horribly, it was the blood loss that kept him under for so long. When he finally woke up for real, though trembling and weak, he was able to get to his feet and look around. He was alone, and at once tried the door but it was locked. He noticed the spiritual seal was still on him and in his state there would be no way to break out.

A fire was blazing in a grimy hearth but it was a comfort to Grimmjow's sore body. He pulled the blanket off his bunk and carefully sat on the creaky floor boards, as close to the flames as his skin could handle. It was the first feeling of life he'd had in days, and he wanted to take comfort in the moment, but the wind howled outside and he couldn't stop thinking about Toshiro and Aizen.

He supposed there were a number of reasons why he found himself alone: food, scouting the perimeter, shit he could be using the bathroom, but who would he be when he returned? He had said he needed Toshiro, he would have to keep him safe. That would have to be enough to comfort him until he got some answers.

Grimmjow had put five more logs on the fire before the door rattle opened and he was pulled out of his reverie with a gust of icy wind.

"Ahh, so good to see you awake." Grimmjow almost winced at the harsh voice that rattled out of the throat of his small friend. The glow was about his body was even stronger, and, as always, he had the long blade trailing along behind him.

"I'll be glad when I'm back in my body, so I can carry this properly. I guess I never did appreciate how little Hitsugaya really is." He swung a sack down onto the floor and pushed it to Grimmjow.

"Eat up."

Grimmjow reached inside and took whatever his hand hit first. He swallowed the bread in greedy chunks, he hadn't eaten in days.

"I thought you were changing..." Grimmjow said when he finally got his fill and Aizen handed him a glass of sake. It burned but felt good as fire spread down his stiff limbs.

"It seems the process will take longer than I intended. You kept me alive, but I was not conscious while inside of you, I could not gain anymore power like I had planned. But the Head Captain yanked me out of you and woke me up, so here we are." He sat down next to him.

"So...while you're in that body, what happens to Toshiro?"

"He's sleeping."

Grimmjow nodded.

"But...I can still see glimpses of his thoughts. His most recent memories were mostly spent with you, correct? And you were, _king_ of Hueco Mundo, no?"

Grimmjow tensed and a harsh laugh ripped out of the boy. "Don't be worried Grimmjow, I'm not mad. You always were an opportunist, I'd expect nothing less from you. But what was you're interest in this boy?"

"He was the only one of his kind in Hueco Mundo, I had to find out why."

"There's more."

Grimmjow glanced at him but wished he hadn't. Those blackened eyes made the small angular face look like that of a demon. "I taught him stuff, he was smarter than the rest."

"What rest? Where are the other espada?"

"I don't know, when I woke up they were all gone. I gather that the Soul Reapers wiped them out."

"I see. So you were so lonely you made friends with a Soul Reaper?" Grimmjow suppressed a flinch as a cold hand ghosted down his back as if in comfort or pity. "Well, don't worry, you'll get your little pet back, but as for friends, you don't need any, you never did, all you ever needed was your king."

There was a long moment of silence. Grimmjow didn't really know what Aizen wanted him to say and he didn't really know what he wanted to say. If he rebelled, Aizen had no reason not to kill him right away.

But if he committed his loyalty, he would be turning against the few who he'd come to think might be allies, like Ichigo and Uryu, and even Unohana and Rangiku who'd offered to help him. He even had his suspicions that Kisuke would bend a rule or look the other way to save his life.

But the question never came, his allegiances were assumed and for Grimmjow, that was perhaps the easiest thing at the moment.

"Why haven't they found us?" He asked after a bit.

"I have managed to put a seal over us. In your case you are already masked from them by that seal, but my own spirit is in flux. I put up a barrier around this shack to hide us from anything. The drain of power is slowing down my transition, but I saw no other choice."

"You could take this off and let me take care of it." Grimmjow said, lifting his wrist with the black band.

"Ahh, yes, the seal. It is indeed hindering you from your recovery, but that was created by the combined power of Urahara Kisuke and the Head Captain. It will not be an easy task to remove, even when I have my powers back. But don't worry, I'll figure it out and set you lose on them all. It will be a glorious day when you can tear through them with your bear hands, don't you agree?"

"I–" Grimmjow's stomach clenched painfully as it adjusted to the food he'd eaten so quickly. It hurt, but it saved Grimmjow from answering Aizen's question. The other simply helped him stand so he could let gravity aid in his digestion.

"So reckless, even in the simple task of eating." Aizen mocked, and Grimmjow felt a quiver of rage but said nothing.

He felt so weak and helpless under this man's gaze, even if it came from the eyes of a child. He wanted to make a snide retort, but instinct told him not too. He didn't know why he was scared, he hadn't met anything that really scared him yet, but some part of him remembered the pain and terror this being could inflict, and warned him, that for now, the best thing to do was to obey and be submissive.

"Do we have a plan?" He asked when the discomfort passed.

"I had considered returning to Hueco Mundo to rebuild my empire but that would take time, and, in the end, we would just have to figure out how to get back here. So we might as well strike as soon as we're ready."

"To do what?"

"To kill the Head Captain and take over the Soul Society of course."

Grimmjow just stared at him. Aizen burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your face, Grimmjow. You don't doubt my power do you?"

"Actually, um," Grimmjow paused for just a moment, hating to actually say the word, _"lord _Aizen, I don't remember you..."

"Ah yes of course, how silly of me. What do you remember?"

Grimmjow didn't want to tell him that his only memory was telling Aizen he wanted him to die, so he shrugged. "Nothing really. The Head Captain tried but it was mostly just bright light and pain. I can't seem to get past it."

"Hmm, just like Toshiro. How fun it would be to sift through all his memories, but alas, they are all blocked off by the trauma of what the hogyoku did."

"I read about that."

"I see, so you do know some things."

"The basics, I guess."

"Well, that will save us some time. While we wait for you to recover, we'll form a plan, and then we can start looking for recruits."

"Recruits...?"

"Yes, it should be perfect timing: right in the middle of winter, when people are most bitter about the conditions of the Rukon District. We'll rally up an army pretty fast."

"An army?"

"Oh yes Grimmjow, we've got lots of work ahead of us."

* * *

**_So, I'm sorry that there is technically no Toshiro in the story right now..._**

**_I __Totally agree about the arms! Good point, there is no reason for anyone to miss and limbs while Orihime is around! And this isn't the end of Bleach is it? I'm seeing shades of Full Metal Alchemist if it is. (in terms of the fates of Ichigo and Ed). And yes, Kubo definitely skipped over alot of details...maybe there will be flashback...?_**


	13. Chapter 13

Grimmjow wasn't sure when it happened. It was some time in the long wait for his friend to return, and some time in his very long recovery from his wound that just refused to give him relief from pain that he found himself obeying Aizen without question. Maybe it was because he wore Toshiro's face, maybe because he fed him, kept him warm and did his best to sooth the constant pain that didn't let Grimmjow sleep for more than an hour at a time or take a deep breath without consequences. It didn't really matter though, at some point in that winter month, in the cabin with Aizen, he had given up caring, and carried on strategizing and planning as if he really did intend to go through with it.

Aizen got tired of waiting to be able to take on his own form and they went out in the towns together, gathered supplies, spread feelings of hatred toward the Soul Reapers, and a rumour of a man who was coming, who could free them of the tyranny. They found the best clothes they could, heavy jackets and boots and warm gloves, reminiscent of garb from old wars on earth, and made promises that this was what their master had given them for their loyalty, and just a hint of the wonders everyone would receive if they followed.

Grimmjow even found himself enjoying throwing back sake with Aizen and buying rounds for everyone with coin stolen from the last tavern they'd visited. There was no doubt about who was in control, but when in public they had to be seen as equals, and the nights would run long and blurry and full of laughter.

That is, until the pain shot through him and Grimmjow would find himself stumbling out of whatever tavern they'd been in. It was in the most severe moments of pain that Grimmjow would remember just how far he'd let himself get sucked in. But it was also in these moments, when Aizen came and found him hunched over and breathing in gasps, put his arms around him and let slip a little numbing relief into his left side, that he forgot how evil this man was.

It had become a dangerous game, not because he'd planned to betray Aizen from the start, but because he was starting to forget that fact.

"You were my sixth Grimmjow, but when I am born again, you'll be my lieutenant, my right hand man."

Grimmjow was laying prostrate on a bench in a bar, one knee up and his other leg crossed lazily over it and a hand behind his head. He'd had too much sake and sucked a cigarette hoping it would help the room stop spinning. Aizen was perched on the table, surrounded by empty glasses. His boyish cheeks were tinged pink but somehow Grimmjow knew that if someone walked in there right now and threatened them, he'd be as sober as if he'd never had a drop.

"How's that sound?"

"Sounds good..." Grimmjow slurred and Aizen laughed.

"We'll have to get you on the wagon though if you're going to be in a position of leadership."

"Then maybe I don't want the job."

Aizen laughed and Grimmjow did too while taking another long pull of smoke.

"You're going to have to convince him."

"Huh? Who?"

"Toshiro. Don't tell me you've forgotten your friend is still in here. When I leave his body, he'll wake up, just as if I'd never come into him. First he'll be confused, then he'll try to fight, but you will convince him its alright, that this is the right path."

"Why?'

"Because he trusts you. And since I need him, he's either got to join us, or we've got a constant prisoner to deal with. I suppose once we get established in the Seireitei it would be no hassle, but between now and then we've got a lot of work to do and it would slow us down."

"Hmm...s'pose you're right." he let out a long burp and then realized something more was coming. He quickly ran outside and threw up against the building. Maybe Aizen was right, he needed to let up on the sake a little. His stomach clenched and he heaved again. He dropped to his knees and rested his head against the cool wood while he waited to see if more would come.

His ragged breathing made the pain in his chest more poignant and he held up his left arm against the old scars but no position ever made it better. He'd asked Aizen what he thought about why the pain never left and the best solution he could come up with was that the shards had been created by the hogyoku, or at least the swords had been made into shards by it, and that some residual energy from that must have passed through him, made it so the wound would never truly go away even if flesh and bone healed over. But he also promised that when he regained his powers once more, he could take that pain away.

And it gave Grimmjow just one more reason to keep following Aizen.

He sat down in the snow and leaned against the building with his eyes closed, waiting for the latest bout of pain to pass.

"Well, well, well, look what I've found." Grimmjow's eyes snapped open. He expected the normal sort of ruffian that he got into fights with all the time, but before him was a massive form of a man, his hair hung long and black and an eyepatch covered one side of his face. He was not wearing his soul reaper uniform but the jagged katana swung lazily over one shoulder was a dead give away.

"Zarakai Kenpachi."

"You got it, Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Aren't I lucky to stumble upon you a way out here in my old neighbourhood, outside my favourite drinking hole."

"Huh, funny." Grimmjow pushed himself up the wall to stand more or less eye to chin with the man. He fidgeted with the black band that sealed his spiritual pressure still but took his stance all the same, trying to swallow back the pain in his left side.

"So the rumours are true. We've heard that two people fitting your and Hitsugaya's descriptions have been out in the town spreading word that a great saviour is coming. I thought you swore your allegiances didn't ly with Aizen anymore, but whatever, you're an arrancar right? You lied. But what I don't get, is why the kid is helping you. Sure he lost his memory but why would he–"

"You don't understand." Grimmjow whispered almost desperately and Zarakai noticed he'd dropped his stance.

"What don't I understand?" he finally asked slowly. Grimmjow watched him carefully but when he made to answer the door burst open and there was no longer any need to explain. The tiny form that was once Toshiro Hitsugaya, with pure white hair and those piercing eyes set in a child's visage, was now more reminiscent of some devil. His hair was slicked down, his eyes completely black, and his face contorted by the simple fact that it was evil that shone out of it. And the glow was the most remarkable thing about him, but visible only to those who could see spiritual pressure.

"Zarakai Kenpachi!" Aizen called out almost gleefully. "You weren't going to take him out all by yourself were you Grimmjow, and leave nothing for me?"

The statement was an intentional bluff to make Zarakai think Grimmjow had his powers back. But the reality was that it their state, a fight with a Soul Reaper Captain was not a good idea, not that Grimmjow doubted that Aizen could win if he really wanted to. But he didn't seem to be aiming for a fight here, rather, he seemed to want to send a message.

"Ah, speechless, eh Kenpachi? What, you miss me the way I used to look? Maybe I'll get tired of this body and change back, but for now, I like it, being youthful, its powerful, and it works great at turning people to my side."

"And what do they say about those black eyes of yours?" Zarakai finally said when he got over he shock.

"A sign of my powers. Just like this!" he whipped around the massive sword and Zarakai's eye widened. No one had really gotten a look at it before now, but it was impressive.

"Fancy clashing swords with this?"

A wide grin spread over Zarakai's face.

"You must have lost your memory too Aizen, if you don't know the answer to that question."

"Hmm, you're right, it was silly."

"So, shall we go?"

"Hmm, like this, with you out of your captain's robes and so far away from the Seireitei that they won't find your body for weeks...well that's just undignified. No, I think I'd rather do this with an audience. For now, a message with have to suffice."

"I'm no one's damn messenger."

There was a sudden burst of wind and the next thing Zarakai was flat on his back, his sword knocked away and Aizen standing on his chest with his sword poised against his throat. "Oh, don't worry, this message can be said without words."

Grimmjow watched in both horror but could not look away as Aizen raised his sword and sliced into the man. He made several quick thrusts, and Grimmjow knew he was avoiding the vital organs, he wanted Zarakai to live, he wanted him to be a testament to his cruelty and power. And in every wound ice crept its way along the man's skin, and Grimmjow felt sick to know that was his friend's power. He sincerely hoped he was asleep in there, and not seeing it all happen.

Aizen didn't stop until he'd finally elicited a scream from Zarakai. Then he bent down low, his face and clothes stained in the great man's blood, and smiled from ear to ear as he whispered,

"for your sake I hope I'm wrong about what I said earlier, because you won't last weeks, you won't even last a couple more hours in this cold. Hope your friends care about you."

He jumped away and grabbed Grimmjow's arm. The next thing they were in another town, Grimmjow stumbling to a halt and Aizen walked confidently into the nearest public building to wash himself up.

Grimmjow waited outside and felt another painful clench of his gut and threw up the remainder of the liquid in his stomach. He told himself it was just the liquor combined with flashstep, but in the back of his mind, he knew better.


	14. Chapter 14

"What was that back there?" Grimmjow asked, from the far side of their rented room in the inn. He was sitting his bed, his trembling hands cupped around a warm and sobering mug of tea. Aizen thought he was hung over, but Grimmjow had a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew was something greater than the after affects of sake.

"What do you mean Grimmjow?"

"I just...I guess I didn't know you'd gained so much power."

"So you didn't expect me to be able to take Zarakai down? Must have been a tense moment for you then. No, Grimmjow, when you're with me, there's not much that could threaten you and when I get my full strength back, there will be nothing in this world to fear."

Grimmjow downed his tea and lay back on his bed. Aizen had been holding his– or rather Toshiro's– hands over the fire but now he approached his lieutenant and stared down at him.

"Lord Aizen...?"

"Take off your shirt, Grimmjow." The room was still cold and Grimmjow had not even taken off his canvas jacket but he wouldn't disobey or question so he did as he was told even though he shivered. The mess of small scars on his left side was revealed and one small, pale hand closed over it.

"Shit." Grimmjow breathed. Always when his commander put his hand over this spot all the pain flared to life, but a moment later it was quelled by a cooling rush of power. Aizen let it go on for a little longer than usual this time and then withdrew.

"There now, my loyal lieutenant, try to get a good rest tonight." Grimmjow sighed as the relief relaxed his muscled and he vaguely remembered to pull the blanket up over top of himself before going under.

* * *

Grimmjow woke four hours later. He couldn't believe he'd slept straight for that long. Four hours was the most he could ever hope to get on a regular night when he spent eight hours just struggling to keep his eyes closed. So when he woke, he felt energized and ready to go, but it was still pitch black outside.

Aizen was sleeping. When he slept, he looked like Toshiro again, and sometimes, in the long hours of the night, Grimmjow would be tempted to shake him awake, sure that he would open those bright teal eyes again. But he never did, because logic crept into his mind to warn him that they would still be black.

He got out of bed, pulled his warm clothes back on and stepped outside. He pulled out his pipe and tobacco from one deep pocket and lit the leaves once they were stuffed in the bowl. He'd picked up some rather unhealthy habits over the past while but they were small comforts to him. He found his eyes scanning the darkness and it took him a second to remember why.

The Soul Reaper.

He couldn't help wondering if his friends had found him in time. Surely Aizen knew they would, he'd wanted him alive after all. Grimmjow squirmed in his heavy coat, feeling uneasy about what had happened.

Briefly the idea of running away passed through his mind, Aizen was sound asleep, he'd never get a better opportunity. But then he shook off the idea for the hundredth time, because, if he did leave, he wouldn't just be running away from Aizen, he'd be running away from Toshiro, and he would be leaving him all alone with the monster.

The cold was getting worse, but Grimmjow couldn't bring himself to go back inside. He almost never got a chance to be alone like this and he wasn't going to give it up.

The sky was growing grey by the time he finished his pipe. He considered filling it again but figured his lungs could use a break and decided to bask in the fresh air of the morning. When the sun finally struck through the mist and over the mountains in the distance, he felt the temperature increase rapidly. It was going to be a beautiful day.

* * *

"Already had a smoke? You're up early, chest hurting?" Aizen asked when Grimmjow finally returned to their room and found the boy-terror getting dressed for another day of rallying and rumour spreading.

"Actually no, I slept through the night, thanks to you, my Lord."

"Excellent. Now, let's get started, we've got a lot of territory to cover."

"Yes sir."

They spent two more weeks covering the most densely populated areas of the Rukon District. The word was spreading well beyond the taverns they hit, and they indeed had an army waiting for the word to go to war.

Grimmjow swallowed his growing unease about the whole situation with the aid of sake. He watched Aizen get a little closer to taking on his original form everyday, but always, it still seemed like he had a long ways to go. Grimmjow wasn't sure why it was taking so long but he also didn't know how to go about asking Aizen about it.

So he carried on, until his second encounter with the Soul Reapers.

In the past few weeks Aizen seemed to have grown a little more confident that Grimmjow wasn't going to make a break, and he found himself more and more often out on solo missions, seeing who he could round up. It was undoubtably harder on his own, the child with his white hair and black eyes had become a symbol of the revolution, though it seemed his own reputation preceded him as well and he couldn't sit down at any bar without being expected to jump up on a table and start spewing propaganda.

It was in the midst of a well rehearsed speech to a very receptive crowd that his eyes landed on her. He faltered in the middle of a word, but she just smiled and made no move for her katata, so he just kept going. After the cheering, the drinks and much shaking of hands, he made his way out the back to where he knew she'd be waiting.

"Rangiku."

"Grimmjow, what they hell are you doing?"

"You should get out of here."

"Is that a threat?" The anger seethed off of her.

"Maybe." He shot back and she gripped her katana tightly.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked one last time, as if begging him to give her an excuse, a reason for his actions.

"Tell me. Did he survive? Did Kenpachi Zarakai live?"

She gasped. "That was you? He still hasn't regained consciousness."

Grimmjow felt his heart chill at the look she gave him and at the realization that what Zarakai saw– what explained every reason he was with Aizen– had not gotten to anyone. Suddenly he understood Aizen's willingness to let Zarakai go when he would have revealed much about them: he knew he wouldn't wake up.

"I believed you!" Rangiku screamed, running at him.

He still had the seal on. Underneath his shirt and jacket and gloves it weighed heavily on him because he knew he couldn't defend himself, not against a powerful Soul Reaper. He dodged and rolled away, springing up as fast as he could. She didn't seem to notice or care that he was unarmed.

"Where is my Captain? What have the two of you done to him?"

"Rangiku, you don't understand!" but trying to reason with her was impossible. He tears flew like diamonds from her eyes as the emotional torrent was transferred into spiritual pressure.

He did his best but there was little he could do, and eventually he was too slow and her broad swing hit him square in the middle. His eyes bulged wide, and blood leapt up his throat. She yanked it back out, her features cold in the moonlight and he fell back, still in shock.

Next thing she was leaning over him, sword tip against his throat. He didn't have very long.

"Rangiku..."

"Shut up you bastard, I can't believe I was going to help you."

"Rangiku, Zarakai knows..."

"Zarakai is in a coma!"

"Rangiku!" He spasmed and more blood choked him. She waited to listen this time. "Aizen, is still inside him...I couldn't just leave Toshiro like that..."

He watched her face, though it was rapidly going out of focus. But he saw the tears well up again and then she had her hands against his stomach trying to staunch the flow.

"Its too late, Rangiku..."

"Just shut up!" the numbing of cold against his back and cold from loss of blood spread outward through his limbs and he couldn't feel the pain. He shut his eyes but heard her sobs.

"Aizen is still in him! Oh Captain of course...oh Grimmjow I'm sorry. Why didn't you say your powers were still sealed?" He didn't answer, just listened to her continue on. "I'm taking you back, we'll heal you...oh there isn't time."

He had been about to go under when he was jolted back to consciousness by her healing powers. But they weren't enough. He felt her rip open his jacket and shirt and begin binding his abdomen with his own clothes and the pink sash she always wore.

It was messy. Grimmjow felt sticky blood all over his face and running down his chin and neck. And his entire abdomen was drench in his own blood, seeping down beneath him through his hollow hole. Rangiku was rough in her haste, trying to wrap bandages faster than blood could drain out– and it was then that he started to feel again.

She resumed her kidou healing, but as his strength returned he opened his eyes and tried to look down at himself. Seeing all the blood and the reality of the wound made his body react, his hands trying to reach for the bandages.

"Calm down." She ordered. He tried but the warrior in him was being drowned out by biology. Eventually her healing took him beyond the worst of it and he lay motionless, conscious but no will to move any time soon.

"You have to go..." he whispered.

"You'll die."

"He'll kill you, and that will kill Toshiro. Plus, how you gonna explain why you helped me?"

"Easy, I need to question you."

"You still have to go."

"No. I want to see him. I need to at least try to capture him."

One blood soaked hand clamped around her wrist with surprising force and she looked him in the eyes. "Rangiku, you take him back there, and they'll kill him. He's most vulnerable like this. The Head Captain won't hesitate."

She faltered in her healing and the sudden nakedness without kidou struck him and he shivered. He remembered his torso was mostly bare and he was lying on snow. She realized as well and started healing again immediately.

"You'll die if I leave you like this."

"He'll find me soon."

"Grimmjow..." there was no question. Beneath the blood, his lips were blue and his skin as white as the snow around him. She wouldn't leave.

At some point he shut his eyes again, but he was still conscious. He didn't have to open them to know what happened when she stopped healing.

"Matsumoto, as beautiful as ever, though I'm not sure I like your hair pulled back like that."

Aizen looked down at the crimson stained snow and his dying lieutenant.

"Damn you!" He snarled out Toshiro's lips and pulled back his sword to strike her.

Grimmjow opened his eyes and watched her turn to face her death but at the very last second the huge blade stopped. It hovered just an inch above her upturned face, and she didn't flinch.

"Dammit!" the boy cried, his hands trembling and then he was screaming. "Hyorinmaru you bastard! Toshiro, go back to sleep!" but he couldn't move, he could not strike this woman down.

"Captain, please! Captain!" She sobbed.

"Shut up!"

He stood for another moment, trembling from head to toe, then he disappeared. Grimmjow got one last glimpsed of Rangiku before he was flying through space.

Aizen was still fighting his internal battle and they landed roughly in the snow. Grimmjow couldn't even scream, the pain seemed to seal off his throat completely and he felt hot liquid begin once again to seep out his middle as all the healing Rangiku had done ripped open anew. He was just losing consciousness when he felt small hands around him and a desperate voice hissing at him,

"You can't die! I need you! You can't die, dammit, you're too important!" these were the last words he heard before he gave into the numbing cold.

* * *

_Blood dripped down his hands, his arms and chest and face but most of all, the blade, that bastard blade of light and dark that weighed like lead between his palms._

_Zarakai Kenpachi, he had heard himself say. A Soul Reaper, an ally. He had been so big, so strong, but now he was reduced to this pile of flesh oozing its crimson life force all over pure white snow..._

_Then sake and smoke and laughter and shouting and cheering and running and he was at a similar scene, of blood staining the purity of freshly fallen powdered snow, brilliant in the moonlight, his home, his love, his force of being, but blackened all over by violence. And her, her gently crying, gently healing, gently speaking, her with her hands on the wound she'd created, her, who had cried so hard, so desperately, so mournfully, for him..._

_Rangiku..._

_Then that sword, that awful long and terrible sword, held stiffly at her neck._

_No more._

_The beast inside him tried to swing, tried to move, tried to wield that monstrous sword, but no more._

"_Captain Please! Captain!"_

_No more._

_

* * *

_

_**Just a taste of Toshiro in this chapter but I promise you'll be seeing LOTS more of our favourite little captain in the next chapter! **_

_**Riza**_


	15. Chapter 15

"Kid...?"

There was a room and bright lights and people Grimmjow didn't know. He looked for that white head of hair, those black eyes he hated but which he knew would always protect him even if he didn't know why, but nothing: nothing familiar was in sight and his carnal instinct was to fight.

"Its okay, we're followers." Some one said over his struggles and panic and many hands forced him down. They slipped on his bare skin covered in slick blood. It was everywhere: he tasted it, he felt it, it was all he saw but the pain in his abdomen and the firm hands won out and he eventually gave up, collapsing back, exhausted.

"Hang on, sir." the voice leaned close to his ear. "The boy has left to bring back your master and he will save you. Then, lord Aizen will save us all."

* * *

Toshiro opened his eyes. Bright light and confusion struck him, but eventually his eyes adjusted and he saw an expanse of white, dotted by small houses and trees on the horizon. He took a deep breath of cold, clean air and sighed. He wasn't sure what had happened, there were just flashes of confusing images, but he did know he'd been trapped for a very long time and it felt good to be free.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." He whipped around and saw a tall man in white with brown wavy hair and handsome features but exuding darkness. In his hands was a blade, magnificent and retched all at once, and his heart clenched as he saw the white aura of his own soul in it.

"Hyorinmaru..."

"Not anymore. This blade is mine, and so are you. Now come, dear boy, and we will check on our mutual friend."

Toshiro moved and felt the cracking of dried and caked blood all over the heavy canvas clothes he wore. He realized what it was when it flaked off and powdered the snow.

"It's Grimmjow's, courtesy of your lieutenant."

"Wh-what? Why?"

"Because, Toshrio, the Soul Reapers are evil. They want to kill Grimmjow and me, and I don't doubt that once they got whatever information they wanted out of you, they'd kill you too."

"...no."

"Come, Grimmjow doesn't have time."

Toshiro was yanked through space without another word. The cold hand on his shoulder held firm and next thing they were outside a building. Aizen threw open the door, there was a crowd of people, gathered around someone else.

"Move aside." the crowd parted at the command and gasped when they saw the white figure, knowing at once who it was.

"Lord Aizen has come!"

He ignored them at present and approached the high medical table. The figure on it was near death, his limbs hung limp and his head lay to one side, his eyes barely seeing.

"Grimmjow, my loyal servant, I will save you." Aizen proclaimed loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Aizen lay a hand against his forehead and slowly blue eyes shifted to find his face. They widened ever so slightly but he hadn't the strength to speak. Aizen's other hand closed over the tightly wrapped wound in his stomach.

Grimmjow's entire body arced off the table at the energy that flowed into him. He smashed back down but stilled after that. He stayed flat for a few long minutes, then Aizen removed his hand and bent low to whisper something in Grimmjow's ear. When he withdrew, the other sat up as well, and to the shock of everyone else in the room, stood.

"Thank you, Lord Aizen." he said through still-blood stained lips.

"It's a miracle!" someone shouted and the room erupted in cheers. Aizen raised one hand and silenced them.

"Go, and spread the word that I have come, and that you have witnessed my power. See what I do for those who are loyal to me!"

There was more cheering and they filed out one by one, except for one man. He approached Grimmjow and reached out to shake his hand.

"Are you really healed under all that blood? Is it really possible?"

Grimmjow gripped his hand back firmly.

"Of course I am, otherwise I could hardly be standing. Now go, and do as my master says."

"Yes, yes, of course." He rushed out of the room.

As soon as the door shut Grimmjow fell over and Aizen lifted him back to the table. He was gasping in pain.

"What is it? I thought you healed him!" Toshiro cried.

"Not completely, but half a miracle doesn't make believers. Good work lieutenant." He said looking down at Grimmjow. Toshiro's jaw dropped at the title but he forgot his shock as Grimmjow shut his eyes and bared his teeth against the pain. Aizen slipped his arms under his knees and shoulders.

"Hold on to me Toshiro. We must take him outside of the village to finish healing." Toshiro hesitated but he wasn't about to leave Grimmjow alone with this guy so he did as he was told and the three disappeared.

* * *

Aizen set Grimmjow down on the floor of the abandoned house. It had been a long time since they'd had to live rough like this, but they couldn't risk anyone learning the truth so they'd gone far out of the village.

Grimmjow was trembling and covered in sweat even though it was freezing in the cabin. For now, Toshiro took every order Aizen dished out to help save his friend. He got a fire going and melted some water and found some blankets. After Aizen healed him a little more, Grimmjow fell asleep. And in the calm Toshiro and Aizen just looked at one another.

"So you're Aizen." Toshiro said finally.

"Yes. What do you remember?"

"You, dying, in the sand."

"But I didn't die."

"So it seems."

Aizen smiled, "so what is your genius mind planning now? What will you do?"

"I don't know, what do you plan to do with me?"

Aizen laughed. "Oh Toshiro, I've already done what I needed _with_ you, you have been established as my loyal follower. It was you who spread the news of my coming, who made the promises of my glory, who told of how we'll end the tyranny of the Soul Reapers. You can't go back to them, you're a traitor now. And anywhere you go in the Rukon District you'll be hailed as my loyal servant. So, I ask again, what will you do?"

Toshiro didn't speak but he moved to Grimmjow's side and that was a clear enough answer.

"So you'll stay with him...for the time being?"

"Why is he working with you? Why does he call you lord?"

"Because he's a loyal soldier, just like he always was, even if he doesn't remember." Toshiro clenched his jaw, unable to accept that Grimmjow, _the king_, had really submitted to this evil, at least, without a good excuse, so he just crossed his legs and sat stubbornly hovering over his friend's body.

* * *

"In the beginning, it was always me taking care of you. Now its me who keeps waking up with you staring down."

Toshiro's eyes shot open and Grimmjow smiled when he saw their aqua depths. He knew his friend was back. His eyes scanned the room around the boy but Toshiro shook his head.

"He's been gone for hours, said he was going to start rallying the troops or something. And the whole place is locked down so there's no escape. Grimmjow, what's going on? Why are you with him?"

Grimmjow painfully rose to his elbows and looked himself over. He was a wreck, the blood had completely ruined his clothes and was still plastered all over his body. "Help me get cleaned up, eh kid?"

"Grimmjow..."

"I know, I know, I'll get to your questions just please, I don't want to be covered in this stuff anymore."

Toshiro relented and built up the fire a bit before helping Grimmjow sit and peeling the layers of blood-drenched and torn clothes off his form. He was lighter than when Toshiro had last seen him, which was back in the 12th division. He could tell he'd suffered in his time with Aizen, he'd lost weight and his face was thinner. But aside from the wound across his middle, it was the ugly scar over the left side of his chest that stood out the most, even under all the filth.

"I though Unohana was going to heal it."

"Aizen came back too soon, and he was too weak to finish doing it. He grabbed me and I woke up in a shack like this, actually, the circumstances were very similar to now. I was hurt pretty bad and he looked after me, except he was in your body when he was doing it."

Toshiro shuddered at the thought of being out of control for so long but he continued to help Grimmjow undress and listened as he explained further.

"It still hurts though, is the thing. Aizen can't explain it very well, said it must have been something to do with the hogyoku. Normally I can't sleep for very long before it wakes me up and it hurts all the time..."

"I'm sure Unohana and the Head Captain could help."

"I doubt they'd ever help me now."

Toshiro didn't respond. He helped the now almost naked Grimmjow to the fire so he wouldn't freeze to death and filled a pot with water he warmed and then dipped a cloth in and began washing away the blood from Grimmjow's back and arms. Grimmjow took over for his chest and face and the sensitive area along the wound, though he left the bandages on, not sure he wanted to see the gash. He had no clean clothes to change into so he wrapped a blanket around himself and lay back near the fire. Toshiro sat next to him and finally got the answers he wanted as Grimmjow told his tale.

"So you stayed for me. Grimmjow, you should have run."

"Like Hell. Besides, the Soul Reapers aren't my friends. Without you they'd kill me on sight."

The door opened and put an end to their conversation. Aizen came in carrying a number of bags.

"Offerings from my followers." he said smiling at Toshiro and setting them on the floor. He dug around and tossed a pile of clothes at them. Then he found food and drink and began setting up a meal for them.

Toshiro watched silently, Aizen's behaviour not at all fitting his description. He fully expected to be ordered around but Aizen seemed happy to do it all himself. Toshiro went through the clothes and found ones to replace his own blood stained ones then he helped Grimmjow in the painful task of moving around enough to put clothes back on. The pants were easy enough, but he had to settle with just a jacket to keep his upper body warm and cause the lease amount of pain.

"It was a great success, you'll be happy to hear." Aizen announced, bringing the food over to them and sitting down. "I brought back your favourite Grimmjow." He swished a bottle of sake and Grimmjow just groaned at the prospect of eating or drinking when his stomach was nearly torn in half. Aizen chuckled merrily.

"Hmm, perhaps not yet eh? Don't worry, I'll have you back drinking and smoking any day now."

Toshiro shot Grimmjow a look that he chose not to respond to.

Aizen proceeded to offer Toshiro a meal and a drink of the sake, which he found his body had already been accustomed to, thanks to Aizen and the many taverns they'd visited. It was rather uncomfortable but Aizen sat in contented silence and Grimmjow shut his eyes to lay listening to the crackling fire.

When the meal finished, Toshiro voluntarily cleaned up just to get some distance from the man and Aizen peeled back Grimmjow's bandages to inspect the wound and continue healing it. He clearly had a little longer before his powers returned in full because it was several days before Grimmjow felt any real improvement and by then it had been so long since he'd eaten that his hands trembled and he found himself dozing off every half hour or less.

But Aizen was more powerful than he was letting on, at least, Toshiro was convinced. Grimmjow was too sick to think it over much but that was the point: just like Grimmjow had stayed to protect Tosihiro, now the boy didn't dare run off and leave Grimmjow alone. And by drawing out the healing process, Aizen was getting Toshiro used to their routine, teaching him his place, indoctrinating him into their messed up little family.

Whether he'd wanted to or not, Toshiro had memorized Aizen's platform, every word he spoke against the Soul Reapers because every day, for the few hours Aizen was with them, he told Toshiro over and over why the Soul Reapers needed to be overthrown.

"Why does he want to convince me so badly?" He asked one day, after Grimmjow had finally been able to eat again and was officially on the mend and Aizen was out.

"He needs you because of that messed up sword."

"It's Hyorinmaru but not."

"I know, but if anything happened to you, Hyorinmaru would be gone, and I guess he figures it would destroy his zampakuto or his powers or whatever. Though now that he has his physical form I'm not sure–"

"Then I should just kill myself." Toshiro said almost to himself.

"What?" Grimmjow sat up sharply and grabbed Toshiro's arm. "Don't say stuff like that."

"Well if it would stop him..."

"No! Geeze kid, promise me you won't even think about this again."

"I can't."

"Toshiro!" his grip became painfully tight on the boy.

"Okay, we can consider other options."

"That's not good enough."

"It will have to do for now."

Grimmjow growled in frustration but let him go. "Fine...but there's something else."

"What?"

"When I was dying, right after Rangiku attacked, just before it all went black, he was panicked, he was actually really upset and yelling at me that I can't die, and that I was important or something."

"In what way?"

"I don't know, but I've got the uneasy feeling that Aizen wants me around for reasons other than my former position as his espada. Those shards, and his..."spirit," were in my body for a year, and as much as I hate thinking about it, who knows what that means."

"Oh no..."

"So anyway, don't go killing yourself alone, because one might not be enough." there was a grim silence then Toshiro asked the question he'd been waiting for.

"So, are we going to run or what?"

"Its not that simple, he's powerful."

"Yeah, but what's our other choice?"

"I don't know...stick around."

"Grimmjow, sometimes I worry that you're not playing along anymore and that you actually like this."

"Of course I don't but look at it from my perspective: I was living in a prison back at the Seireitei and since then Aizen's done nothing but take care of me. Plus, he kinda has a point about all this, the Soul Reapers really do have it sweet while the rest of them all suffer."

Toshiro stared back at him shocked.

"I can't believe you're saying this. You're already loyal to him."

"I am not! I'm just saying its been a long time and if I don't hate him quite as much as you think I should then that's why."

"Grimmjow, he's evil!"

"Don't you think I know that? I told you what I remembered with the Head Captain. I may not remember who I was, but I wanted Aizen dead, I was ready to watch him wither and die and I knew he was absolute evil. But that also can't erase everything else that's happened."

Toshiro collected himself. Instead of blowing up, answered calmly. "Okay, I know that I've been _gone_ for a long time, and I know you've gone through a lot, but you know that this is Aizen's game right? Its all one big psychological plan to make you his loyal lieutenant."

"Yeah." Grimmjow nodded but Toshiro was still feeling unsure.

"Grimmjow, I don't want to stay here."

The king looked at him with serious eyes and nodded with greater assertion. "Right, you're right, we'll leave. But its too late today, he'll be back soon, so tomorrow, first thing will give us the best chance."

"Alright." Toshiro smiled, knowing he had not lost his friend after all.

* * *

**_As promised, Toshiro is back! Boo-yeah! Let me know what you think!_**

**_Riza_**


	16. Chapter 16

Things did not go quite according to plan however, as Aizen came back that night and instructed them to pack. He deemed Grimmjow fit for travel after bandaging him tightly from hip to ribs with a stiff material that kept his stomach from bending too much when moving around and took the pressure off his abs and back muscles. He then gave him a strong dose of spiritual pressure to knock him out for a solid's night sleep and ready for an early start.

Toshiro went to sleep uneasily, with the sinking suspicion that Aizen had somehow heard their plan, or at least suspected something of the sort.

They rose and departed at dawn and began what was too be a long journey across the Rukon District to gather up the army that had been growing from tavern to tavern, town to town and now that their leader had finally come it was time to execute their plan.

"I don't get it." Toshiro said at Grimmjow's side as they marched along. "They'll never be able to challenge the Soul Reapers, so what's the point?"

"To make it a people's movement." Grimmjow said the well rehearsed lines. "If we just take over, Lord Aizen will be just another dictator. But if they participate and chose Lord Aizen themselves, as they already have by their support of his revolt, than he's their king by choice."

"Oh." Aizen had been listening but said nothing and Toshiro decided not to push the matter further, as much as he wanted to tell Grimmjow that another dictator was what the people were going to get whether they thought they were choosing him or not.

They reached the next village and seemed to finally be back into the heart of the Rukon District, no more long stretches of open lands, just hut after hut for as far as the eye could see. They didn't make it far before people started recognizing them, and then the crowds grew around them and Aizen was speechifying and Grimmjow and Toshiro stood on either side of him, the symbols of the revolution.

It was a long few days of moving slowly through the districts, the hoards growing all the time. Some followed them, but mostly the time and date were set and spread for the day of attack and Aizen was simply making himself known as they made their way back toward the Seireitei. Toshiro and Grimmjow didn't even have time to consider escape they were so busy campaigning, but one day Aizen sent them off on their own to a village centre while he went to the house of healing to perform some "miracles."

"Well..." Toshiro urged Grimmjow as they walked off from their leader.

"We do our job, then tell everyone we're going to the tavern. They'll go, Aizen will hear that's where we are, he won't be suspicious until he goes himself and finds us gone."

"Okay."

They rallied up the people in the one central open space among all the shacks and got a good reaction, lots of cheers and lots of hand shaking afterward. Then they did as planned, got everyone headed toward the tavern and then, when no one was paying attention, slipped off into the maze of buildings.

It was hard, because their well known descriptions didn't allow them to move about very freely, but they were fast and stealthy and made it quite some ways, thinking they were actually in the clear before trouble struck.

Grimmjow tensed first and then Toshiro saw why. A Soul Reaper blocked their path.

"Hey!" Toshiro cried out to him. "Aizen might be following us, we don't have much–" the soul reaper disappeared.

"Why did he leave?" Toshiro asked but Grimmjow grabbed his wrist in warning.

"I think we should get out of here." The espada whipsered.

"Too late for that." a cold voice said and Grimmjow's arm tingled as he recognized Soifon.

"Captain Soifon, please let us explain." Toshiro began but she cut him off.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, you are a threat to the Soul Society. Grimmjow Jaggerjaques, you are loyal to Aizen and the enemy of Soul Reapers. As ordered by the Head Captain, you will both be captured, questioned and executed."

"No wait!" But Toshiro could do nothing before hands were on him. Grimmjow too was taken down almost instantly. They couldn't do anything surrounded by the stealth force and Soifon was brutally efficient. Toshiro heard Grimmjow's cries of rage silenced and a moment later someone's foot crashed into his head and he went limp.

* * *

Toshiro had been in the dark for so long he'd lost track of time. It had been days, he was sure, that he'd sat chained, alone and listening to Grimmjow's screams. He knew it was intentional. When the Head Captain did finally pay him a visit, it was after one of the most brutal sessions yet, and he had sat painting terrible images of what they could possibly be doing to his friend.

"We got all the information we needed out of him on the first day." The Head Captain announced staring down on Toshiro. "What I want to know from you is whether it's the truth. Now its very important that you tell me, Toshiro, because you know what happens if you don't and I honestly don't think Grimmjow's vocal cords can take another four days of this and you know we'll never let him die until we're done. So, tell me what you've been doing with Aizen?"

Toshiro was shaking with rage. He had hoped all this time that some mistake had been made, that they would realize and free them and focus on killing Aizen, but Rangiku and Grimmjow had known, they had agreed it was suicided for Toshiro to ever come back here.

He answered all the Head Captain's questions, it was why he'd come in the first place, to tell them everything. But when he finished, he stared up at him through the dark and asked _why?_

"I am sure Soifon read your charges when she arrested you. We would have liked to have you back, Toshiro, it's a shame. I had always suspected you survived, that you were out there somewhere in that godforsaken desert, and I guess I was right, but now you must die to destroy Aizen."

Despite the threat to his life, Toshiro's fear was eclipsed by rage at this statement. "You _knew _I was there? Why didn't you come get me?"

"Time and resources." He answered cooly. Toshiro felt even more anger welling up and he didn't think his small body could ever contain it. Finally he swallowed it enough to ask,

"So, now you have your answers, what will you do? Do you really think that if you kill me Aizen will just vanish?"

"It will ensure his destruction, but that won't be the end of it. Aizen has created turmoil and revolt in my domain and I will not tolerate it. I will crush all dissenters."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, anyone that does not accept the reign of the Soul Reapers must die."

"WHAT?"

"If you were still a captain you would understand. The universe must be ordered and Aizen has disrupted that. If I kill all those who follow Aizen, they will pass on into the next life, the balance will still exist, but peace will also reign. It is the necessary price."

"Necessary price? You _are _evil!"

"I don't need to convince you Toshiro. But I will give you a moment if you would like, before I kill you."

Toshiro stared up at him, struggling against the chains but there was absolutely no hope.

* * *

Grimmjow lay on the floor of the dark room. His eyes stared at the door, waiting for it all to begin again. He couldn't even remember the details, just pain, horrible, long pain, terrible cruel tools, terrible smells, terrible sounds. He couldn't look at himself, he didn't want to see how he'd been disfigured. He chose to think only of the throbbing in his chest that was so familiar now. He lost himself in that, feeling only that, a pain he could handle. A pain that was actually giving him comfort.

The door creaked open and he couldn't contain his own body. He was already trembling and to his shame felt tears. He couldn't tell who it was. Mostly it had been Soifon, but sometimes it was Urahara or the Head Captain himself. When he felt hands on his shoulders pulling him to his knees he lost it completely, breaking down into uncontrolled sobs until those hands slipped back around him and held him close in a gentle embrace.

"I'm here now, my lieutenant. Forgive me for taking this long to find you."

Shock rippled through Grimmjow, then relief and such gratefulness that he just sobbed all the harder against Aizen's chest.

Aizen never let him go, but one hand moved to release his hands that were bound behind his back and then the healing spread through him. Aizen had indeed gotten much more powerful, and every inch of cut, bruised, burned or otherwise mutilated skin was stitched together, smoothed out, flawlessly healed and all that was left was that old patch of scars over his chest and a thin line from Rangiku's blade.

When it was done, Aizen pulled back, found Grimmjow's clothes that had been stripped off in the process of torture and helped him pull them on. He was still shaking and weak but stood when Aizen offered him his hand.

"Now, we must rescue Toshiro, though I fear the Head Captain is already with him."

"The how do we save him?"

"With this." He raised the glimmering sword and lead the way out of the room.

* * *

Toshiro refused to shut his eyes when the sword came to rest against his throat. The Head Captain pulled it back for the final strike but the room erupted in cold before he could strike. The floor iced over at once, cracking the chains around Toshiro and rooting the Head Captain to the spot. In a rush of wind, Aizen was at Toshiro's side, snapping the rest of the chains and picking him up.

"AIZEN!" The Head Captain cried and swung while they were within his reach still but his blade clashed harmlessly against the silver white one and the next second they were gone.

Toshiro couldn't breath, they were moving so fast, couldn't see the corridors or buildings or even the great bounds of land that passed beneath them but when they stopped, they were in a clear space, knee high in snow, and he realized Grimmjow was with them as well.

He and the king weren't much for sentimental moments but Grimmjow didn't hesitate before throwing his arms around the boy and squeezing him tight.

"I heard you screaming..." Toshiro whispered into his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Grimmjow said back, though the trembling of his voice and hands said he clearly was not. But when he let go and Toshiro stepped back, he couldn't see any sign of the torture.

"Lord Aizen healed me." Grimmjow said and Toshiro's eye trailed up the tall figure who smiled warmly at him. He felt too many conflicting emotions, but the first words he found were desperate, pleading.

"He said he was going to kill all your followers!"

"Shh, its okay Toshiro, I won't let him." Aizen soothed. "I'll protect them, with your help."

"Mine?"

"Our powers are intertwined, and together we can do so much more than alone. Here, let me show you."

He reached out and took Grimmjow's wrist. He pulled back his sleeve to show the black band that sealed his powers.

"Here, put your hand over it." Toshiro did as instructed and then Aizen's hand closed over his own. He felt their powers mingle, grow strong and then there was a quiet crack and he felt the object snap open. Grimmjow gasped as he felt his own power return, finally and when the others lifted their hands, he stared down at the broken band before pulling off completely.

"How do you feel?" Aizen asked.

Grimmjow looked himself over, flexed his hands and then smiled wide, "Amazing."

"Excellent." Aizen smiled in return and, against everything he thought he knew, Toshiro smiled as well.

* * *

**_Fewf, okay, so one of the darker moments in my fanfic history...don't hate me, and definitely stay tuned for more updates soon. And always, let me know what you thought!_**

**_Riza_**


	17. Chapter 17

Aizen gave them a couple of days to recover. Not that their physical wounds hadn't been healed, but they had suffered extreme trauma and they needed some time for their nerves to settle.

The pain in Grimmjow's chest was worse than ever, or so he said when he woke with a start every half hour during the night, but Toshiro strongly suspected it was from nightmares or flashbacks of the torture. He refused to speak of it, but they did come to a certain understanding on the topic of Aizen.

"I'm never going back there and you aren't either." Grimmjow declared after a strong drink and a long pull on his cigarette. Toshiro watched him from his bed opposite Grimmjow's in the back of the tavern. "I thought I was on the wrong side all along but after that..."

"It was me on the wrong side." Toshiro finished, "But still...that memory I had..."

"Hey, you were against Aizen, and maybe you had your reasons. I did too from what I remember, but we got to deal with _now_, and right now, he's not the threat, he's not the one that's going to kill all those people and us."

"I know." Toshiro agreed. He couldn't shake his uneasiness about Aizen but he was not going to try to leave again after what happened.

"So we're good then?" Grimmjow asked, stamping out his smoke. "You're cool with this?"

"I have to be."

"Yeah. Well, its settled, let the revolution begin!"

"Grimmjow?"

"Yeah?"

"Just...keep in mind what was written in that journal."

Grimmjow froze for just a second and then pretended like he hadn't been affected at all. "Yeah, yeah I know."

Immediately after getting his powers he'd gone on a rampage for over and hour, blowing up trees and even a boar and yelling curses at the top of his lungs. Aizen had told Toshiro to let him get it out of his system, but it hadn't passed entirely.

When he woke up in fits of pain or fright or whatever it was he was experiencing, he would curse and punch the wall and thrash around until Toshiro screamed loud enough to get him to stop. He hated the soul reapers like nothing else, and it was changing him. He wanted revenge so badly that he was blind to any doubts he may have had about Aizen. He actually seemed to revere the man. This made Toshiro wonder even more just what had happened to him those four days, and just how much of an effect it had had on his mind.

But still, the king was his friend, and he had no where to go. And from his experience, Aizen had done nothing but take care of them.

Toshiro glanced over and noticed Grimmjow was toying with something in his fingers.

"You still have that?"

It was the black band that had once sealed his powers. "Yeah. It will still work you know, if I put it on someone. I think I'll put it on Soifon, or Urahara and then have some fun."

"Stop it."

"What? You don't think they deserve it?"

"I don't think your focus should be revenge. It's the wrong reason to do things."

Grimmjow snorted derisively and Toshiro felt a flare of annoyance but let the subject drop.

When their rest period ended, Aizen was ready, the word had spread far enough, it was time for war. In seven days, all their followers would be gathered, and the revolution would begin.

Toshiro was feeling increasingly lonely. Grimmjow was completely lost in the war mongering, speeches and the late nights of drinking and smoking. Consequently, Toshiro found himself spending more time with Aizen.

They honed their skills to combine strength and power. It would be up to them to defeat the Head Captain while their army and Grimmjow kept everyone else busy. Every time Toshiro worried that he was doing the wrong thing, his doubts were silenced by the tortured screams that had rung through his dark cell and still rang through his mind.

And then came the day they stood at the gates of the Seireitei. The Soul Reapers were ready, the Head Captain at their fore.

"Stop this nonsense at once!" he shouted to the crowds that made up Aizen's army. "Sosuke Aizen is evil, he has the power to deceive, and he has used it one you!"

Toshiro glanced up at Aizen at this. _What did that mean? _His leader noticed and smiled down at him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The action was not missed by the Head Captain.

"And Toshiro Hitsugaya, why do you stand at his side?"

Toshiro's eyes opened wide at the ridiculous statement. The Head Captain had intended to execute him, had tortured Grimmjow, why should he question his motives? He opened his mouth to speak but Aizen spoke first.

"Enough, don't insult my lieutenant with such stupid questions. It is time for your reign of tyranny to end and for the people to get all that they deserve."

There was a roar of approval from the crowd and the battle began.

* * *

Grimmjow lost sight of Toshiro and Aizen almost immediately because his eyes had landed on one Soul Reaper in particular: Soifon. He shouted half hearted directions at the mob that was their army before turning back to her but when he made to fight it wasn't Soifon he met but Rangiku.

"Out of my way!" He growled.

"Grimmjow, what are you doing?" She had her sword raised but waited to attack. He hesitated, confused.

"What did you think we'd do? After what you did, of course we'd side with Aizen."

"Grimmjow, I'm sorry about that, I didn't understand that you with him to protect my captain. I would have finished healing you but Aizen took you away."

Now he lowered his sword, completely confused.

"You think _that's_ what I'm talking about? I don't care about some cut, I'm talking about those four days you people had me locked in that hole, making the kid listen to my screams while Soifon and Urahara–"

He couldn't even complete his sentence, the rage seemed to activate the pain in his chest and the mere thoughts of what happened had him looking like he might puke.

It was Ragniku's turn to lower her sword. "Grimmjow...what are you talking about?"

He stared at her and then realization struck. "So they didn't tell you. I suppose, if you'd known they were going to execute your captain you may have intervened."

"Who's they? What happened?"

"Just get out of my way Rangiku, I don't want to kill you."

"Grimmjow, what do you think will happen if Aizen takes over? He'll kill us all."

"Yeah, just like the Head Captain swore he'd kill all of them," Grimmjow pointed with Pantera to the crowds at the gates, being held back by kido and brute force from the Soul Reapers.

"Grimmjow, he would never–"

"JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Grimmjow clutched his sword almost as tightly as his free hand was pressed against the left side of his chest.

"Grimmjow calm down, I think I understand–"

"Leuitenant, what are you doing?" Rangiku whipped around but Soifon was already diving at Grimmjow. He saw her and his face contorted in such ugly rage that for a moment Rangiku thought perhaps she was mistaken, and this arrancar was evil after all, but, no, something clicked inside her mind and she understood what was going on. But now it would be much harder to explain.

Soifon and Grimmjow fought a vicious battle. Grimmjow received a number of wounds but was so fuelled by the need for revenge that they didn't even register. Soifon caught a blow to one shoulder and staggered back.

"Stop Grimmjow!" Rangiku jumped in front of him as he tried to take advantage of Soifon's moment of pain. Blood flowed freely down the side of his face, enhancing the menace in his features.

"Move." he growled, flashing sharp teeth.

"It wasn't real."

"What are you talking about?" their swords ground against each other, Rangiku felt her feet slide a few inches.

"Do you know what Aizen's power is? Do you know why he is so dangerous?"

Grimmjow had never thought about it much. He just knew he had great power, and that at the moment they were linked to Toshiro's powers. He didn't actually know the form of his shikai or bankai. He still pushed against Rangiku's sword but he was now listening intently.

"Aizen's power," Rangiku said past the strain, "is illusions. You haven't been to the Seireirtei since the day Aizen emerged. Anything you think happened, was an illusion that Aizen created."

Grimmjow stood for a moment longer in his stance against Rangiku before pulling back.

"You're lying." he said, though sounding like he was trying to convince himself. "He saved me, he healed me."

"He was the one who tortured you Grimmjow. He's evil."

"How? How can I know what's the truth? There's no way to know."

Rangiky opened her mouth to answer but the next thing Grimmjow knew was he was being flung backwards into the snow, Pantera clattering away from him, Soifon pinning him down and, to his utter confusion, pulling his shirt up.

"What the Hell?"

"Here is your proof." she said, sitting back and looking at the nearly flawless skin. "If I had tortured you, there would be marks."

"I told you, he healed me."

"Of all the wounds you'd had in four days of torture? Tell me, what did I supposedly do to you?" Grimmjow looked her in the eyes, swallowed, but didn't seem capable of responding. "So a lot, I take it. Well there is no way those wounds could be healed that fast, all at once."

"He's powerful."

"Oh yeah?" he jerked in surprise as one finger traced along the thin scar left from Rangiku's sword. "Then why did he leave this? And this?" She pointed to his chest. Grimmjow couldn't answer. "Because those other wounds never actually happened, and he never actually had to heal you: these were the only real wounds you ever suffered. He fooled you, now get over it." She stood up but her sword remained pointing at him as he rearranged his shirt and jacket and sat up.

Rangiku watched in silence as the arrancar processed everything.

"I'm going to kill him." he said at last and made to stand but Soifon halted him.

"Don't move, you are under arrest, you'll follow me back to the first division cells."

"Are you serious?" Grimmjow stood anyway and in a second the sword point was against his Adams apple but he remained firm, staring down at the fierce woman.

"I know Aizen's strategy inside out, and you're going to lock me up? I don't think so. You want that info now, so you'll let me stay, and get my hands on that Son of a Bitch."

Soifon glared up the length of her blade at him, but after a few moments, withdrew.

"Fine then, but one wrong move and I kill you."

"Agreed."

* * *

**_SO...did I get ya? Aizen's not so great after all...but sadly, I was just updating out of guilt tonight, because I don't actually have much time since a recent plethora of homework struck so this is just for you, my dear readers, and one less hour of my sleep, so I hope you enjoyed and do please review and bear with me through the next couple weeks, I will update when possible!_**

**_Thanks,_**

**_Riza_**


	18. Chapter 18

There was no waiting for Toshiro and Aizen. They were headed for the Head Captain and he was headed for them.

The giant blade of their combined powers stuck, Toshiro used what he had learned under Aizen and urged the ice to form not only from the point of the blade but from the air and ground. But Yamamoto's flames jumped up just as fast and to his shock he watched his own ice melt.

"Why are you doing this?" the Head Captain roared over the noise of their fight. "Why are you siding with the enemy?"

Aizen swung again and again and there was hardly room to breath or for Toshiro to ask what the Head Captain could possibly mean by such a question. He was not about to let this man kill all the citizens who disagreed with his rule. Aizen maintained the intensity of the battle so there were no more words. Toshiro was having a difficult time concentrating on keeping the flames off his leader but it didn't look like the battle would end any time soon.

"What have you done to him?" Toshiro heard the Head Captain demand when he and Aizen came nearly nose to nose their blades were so firmly pressed together.

"I have shown him the truth."

"You mean your lies. You've used your power on him haven't you?" Aizen roared angrily at this and beat down on Yamamoto with the massive blade but Toshiro had already heard and stared up at him in shock. The flames moved closer, sweat trickled down their faces.

"Toshiro, what are you doing?" Aizen demanded.

"What did he mean?"

Metal sliced into Aizen's thigh and he staggered but not before spilling some of Yammaoto's blood as well.

"This is not the time!" Aizen hissed angrily but Toshiro wouldn't let it drop even though the flames were getting closer.

"But what did he mean about your power?"

"I said shut up! Do you not remember Grimmjow's screams!" Toshiro was shocked into silence and the heat was becoming too much. He concentrated on his link with Aizen again to push back the flames. But his mind was still working. What had Aizen said in that one memory, the only thing he knew to be true in this whole world.

" _I was going to make them all believe I was their god..." _

"_I'll leave you all in a nightmare you can't escape_"

The power to make someone believe.

The power to make someone live a nightmare.

Toshiro's head slowly revolved until he was looking up at the two powerful men. All the doubts, all the things everyone had said about Aizen, all those feelings of chilling darkness that arose with the name alone, returned in full, and he no longer saw their leader– he saw a monster.

But when he looked at the Head Captain, he saw a monster as well.

Hitsugaya's power ceased abruptly, Aizen faltered, the Head Captain landed a blow and in an instant was on him. The flames surrounded them but the Head Captain's own body seemed to shield them from their destructive powers. Still, the sweat ran down Hitsugaya's body and soot darkened his white hair.

"What did he do to you?"

The Head Captain still had his sword in his hand but with the other, he held Toshiro's face to stare directly in his eyes. He was searching for something but all he saw was fear and confusion.

"There is no answer!" Toshiro cried finally, the heat suffocating him and he tried to wriggle away but that hand held his jaw firmly.

"What do you mean?"

"You're both evil. There is no answer because you're both evil!"

"What did he tell you?"

"Nothing! It was you, that cell, Grimmjow's screams, and you said you would kill them all..." Toshiro lost his voice as he saw no recognition of these events in the elder man's eyes. No one could fake that, at least not with his keen ability to read people. He gasped, realizing the terrible truth. "It was him wasn't it? He made all that happen? We never were captured by the Soul Reapers."

The Head Captain let him go and he dropped to his knees. The flames around them died and in the silence there was only the panting of a very soot blackened Aizen.

"You have lost your hold over him. Its over." Yamamoto proclaimed.

"He doesn't have to be a willing participant for me get what I need."

Aizen raised the blade and Toshiro's chest clenched painfully as what felt like his very life force was being sucked from him. He realized it was his spiritual pressure, forced out of him by the shards of his old zampakuto, in the hands of a monster. He fell on his side, completely unable to move but still conscious, watching his own ice dragon form and flow out the blade, directed at the Head Captain.

"Hyorinmaru...no..." but he lost his breath again and Aizen stole more of his power.

"If you must resort to such tricks then you really must have lost your powers. You have nothing of the strength you once possessed." Yamamoto said, knocking away the attacks.

"Oh, on the contrary, my powers exist in full, I just had to get strong enough to take them back. They are so vast that they could never be taken on at once. In fact, I'm ready now, and it seems my reserves are on their way." Aizen smiled darkly.

"What are you talking about?" Yamamoto asked but Toshiro knew. Grimmjow had heard Aizen desperate to save him. He hadn't been able to find out why but now it all made sense: why Aizen needed him, why he still had that pain in his chest.

"You didn't get all the shards out that day!" Aizen laughed, confirming Toshiro's suspicions. Yamamoto's old eyes widened under bushy brows. And just on time, Grimmjow came hurtling onto the scene.

For a moment he stood before them, and it was unclear what he knew, but then Soifon and Rangiku landed at his back and Aizen's feature darkened.

"I knew Toshiro would figure it out eventually, but I thought you would take a little longer to turn on me."

"You Son of a Bitch!" Grimmjow screamed, rushing at Aizen in uncontrolled rage.

It was predictable and stupid and in a second Aizen had what he wanted. Grimmjow came to a dead stop with Aizen's hand flat against the left side of his chest.

"I told you that I'd make it go away someday. Now is the time." Grimmjow couldn't move or fight, he just became paralysed by the feeling of himself tearing from the inside out.

Toshiro watched from where he lay on the ground, his friend screaming in agony, Aizen's face glowing with malevolence and power. The Head Captain ran at them but was blasted back. Soifon and Rangiku both followed and failed. But darkness was creeping around the edges of Toshiro's vision and with that darkness came a rumbling voice.

_My name is Hyorinmaru. _

Teal eyes shot open again at once, and Toshiro realized that it was not only the shards of Kyōka Suigetsu that had been preserved in Grimmjow but the shards of his soul as well. He took a deep breath that puffed out above the snow and he rose to his feet.

"Hyorinmaru!" he flashed forward and like a magnet was drawn to his soul's embodiment, ripping its way out of Grimmjow. Like before, Aizen and Toshiro became locked in a battle for control of the freed particles that were still inseparably intertwined.

White and silver light surrounded them as their battle was fought without movement, simple will and strength, each of their hands wrapped around the blade that continued to absorb, continued to grow, almost the size of two blades now, but not quite, never all, because not all the pieces had been saved.

Even when all the particles were freed and Grimmjow stopped screaming and slumped to his knees, his life slipping away out the deep wound, the two figures above him fought for control of the power so great that no one being should ever possess it. Had he not been at the eye of the storm, he would have been blown away, no one else could reach them, it was just the three in a whirlwind of light and power and snow.

Toshiro tried with everything he had, his hands were practically welded to the handle of the blade but his heart was pounding too hard in his chest and his breath was coming in short gasps but worst of all he saw a slowly forming grin of triumph on Aizen's face.

"No..." He urged his body to withstand the power, he urged Hyorinmaru to stay with him, but Aizen had taken much out of him before the battle had even begun and now it was clear he could not win.

At least, not on his own.

Grimmjow knew he didn't have much time left, but he felt the round object in his pocket and slowly withdrew it.

The black band, so small and yet so powerful.

He clicked it open, and raised his head to stare up at the two, lost in their battle, unable to see him but he could clearly see the smile on Aizen's face. Anger surged through him even as he coughed up blood and he didn't hesitate a second longer before reaching up and clamping the seal around Aizen's wrist.

He didn't particularly expect what happened next.

Yes, he had intended to stop Aizen, but never did he imagine it would happen so abruptly. One second they were in a storm of power and the next the battle was over and Toshiro was flying back as the full force of power reverted to him.

But it was his power. The particles of Aizen's powers disappeared instantly, effectively separating them from Hyorinmaru.

Toshiro landed several feet away, and in his lap was a smaller version of the sword he'd once wielded. Grimmjow collapsed and above him Aizen screamed in furry. He had no power, but he looked down upon the one who took it away and bent to close a fist around his throat, lifting Grimmjow up from the snow until they were eye to eye.

"I won't let you just die. I will squeeze what's left of your life out of you for doing this to me."

Grimmjow could do nothing to fight back, his eyes rolled up in his head.

"Let go of him."

Toshiro stood with his sword pointed at Aizen but there was little point, the man had no weapon any more but he would not let this last act of vengeance go. Toshiro sheathed his sword, he would not need it. Instead he jumped up and smashed his fist into Aizen's face, sending him to the ground. Grimmjow dropped at once and Toshiro eased him down.

Behind him the Head Captain was recovering from the storm of energy that had knocked him and the others back and spotted Aizen. But Toshiro ignored them all, clinging desperately to the dying king in his arms.

"That Son of a Bitch..." Grimmjow murmured, eyes closed.

"Hang on." Toshiro said desperately trying to stop the flow of blood but Grimmjow was already so pale.

"At least..it was more entertaining...than that damn desert..."

"Grimmjow shut up and let me heal you!" He couldn't cut the emotion from his voice or stop the tears that fell down his face. Those blue eyes cracked open just slightly.

"Hey kid..."

"No, don't."

"See ya..."

"NO DON'T!" but the king's eyes closed despite Toshiro's protests and he felt his world shattering as the one person he knew and trusted faded away.

_Master..._

Toshiro stopped crying at once and looked around at the snow, all the snow for miles and miles, and the snow that had been kicked up, trampled and bled on all around them and beneath them. Hadn't he learned that was his power? And didn't he, finally, have the rest of his soul restored?

"Hyorinmau, help me." He closed his eyes and let that deepest part of him, that knew, even if his mind had forgotten, the way to heal, the way to pour his energy through his body into another's to take the snow, the ice, the water in the air and make it his, and then give it away; that part of him that knew how to save a life, or an afterlife.

"Shit!" the curse rang out as the wound closed over and those ice blue eyes opened upon the world once move. Grimmjow just had a second to register what happened before a light body fell onto him.

"Kid?" he sat up, holding the exhausted boy in his arms. He was still trying to get over the fact that was alive and there was no wound to speak of beneath his torn and blood soaked clothes but he held the small body protectively against his chest. "You alright?"

"That's what I was going to ask you." Toshiro breathed exhausted but nonetheless smiling up at Grimmjow. The espada couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm fine. How did you–"

"Hyorinmaru."

"Your zampakuto. So are you okay?"

"Just tired." Toshiro said and proving his point, fell asleep.

Grimmjow laughed slightly to himself at the absurdity of this boy, his power and yet his complete innocence and need to be protected. Then his smile faded and he whispered, "thank you." before the soul reapers came and took him away.

Grimmjow didn't struggle when he was pulled to his feet and lead in the direction of the first division.

* * *

_**So, what can I say? Unexpected tradgedy struck- well, how often is it expected?- and has rocked my world so to speak, so needless to say this story got pushed to he back burner. That's not to say I'm not still writing, because its definitely a comfort to write, I just had trouble returning to the ones I had on the go, as I was in such a different mindset then. Anway, someone asked how long I plan to make this and originally, quite long, but now, I think I could easily give some closure in a couple chapters. What I would like to do, is finish, but leave the option of continuing later, because I really like the relationship that exists in this story, I'm just not in the right mood for it these days, so that is what you should all expect, and I hope to extend this one at a later date. But don't worry, I'll give it some sort of closure for now. Also, if you are all cool with ending it soon and aren't interested in more later then please let me know and that's what I'll do, just give me an idea of the interest level. And, as always, let me know what you think,**_

_**Ciao,**_

_**Riza**_


	19. Chapter 19

Grimmjow stared out the bars of his cell to witness the seventeenth dawn of his near complete solitude. Yes, trays of food came and went and he would scream questions at whatever poor young Soul Reaper was sent to do the task, but none ever answered. No one ever came to question him, not one ever told him how long he'd be here or what they were planning. Not even the Head Captain had come to see him.

What Grimmjow didn't know, was that things in the Soul Society had gotten so hectic that he'd been all but forgotten.

Riots had to be quelled, citizens pushed back from the gates, general unrest occupied most of the Soul Reapers' time. Even though Toshiro and Grimmjow had learned the truth about their leader, no such revelation had struck the people, and the march on Soul Society was yet to be completely ended. Not that the Soul Reapers didn't have the power, but they had to deal with this as non-violently and diplomatically as possible if they wanted to achieve some measure of peace again.

And the one person who's first thoughts normally would be about Grimmjow, was currently undergoing the long process of having his memories restored.

But, on this morning, seventeen days later, Grimmjow finally felt that heavy riatsu coming down the stairs and filling his cell. He turned when the doors creaked open and the Head Captain stepped in.

Grimmjow had so many questions and was angry he'd been left floating in the unknown for so long but when he finally did see Yamamoto he just waited. The other would only tell him what he intended to tell him and nothing more, and nothing Grimmjow said would change that.

"The crowds are restless." This was not what Grimmjow had expected him to say, but he just waited and listened. "They do not understand what Aizen truly was. They did not know of his power to use illusions to manipulate people and so they are still under his spell."

"Aizen never used his powers on them."

"You can't know that."

"Yes I can. If it was an illusion, it would have died with Aizen right? But this is different. We spent months with them. They aren't fuelled by illusions and deception, they are fuelled by truth, and that's why they won't stop. Aizen called you Tyrants and even if I hate that Son of a Bitch I can't say he was wrong."

"Then I can see I have come here in vain." Yamamoto said, turning his back. Grimmjow tried to bite his tongue but failed and before the Head Captain could leave called out,

"Wait. What do you mean?"

"The violence has escalated, many civilians are getting injured, even killed. I need to end this now. Toshiro still has much to remember, but I believe he is ready to do what he must."

"What's that?"

"He must return to the people and convince them to stop. They will only listen to him...and you."

"What are you saying?"

"If I could trust you would help end this, and not fuel it, I would like for you to accompany him."

"You want _me_ to bring peace to the Soul Society?" Grimmjow burst out laughing at the thought, at the ridiculous position he was in and how insane his life had become since leaving Hueco Mundo. But when the laughter died, he stared seriously at the Head Captain. "Give me Pantera and I will go."

"No."

Grimmjow stared back at him, contemplating. "What happens to me after if I help you?"

"I am sure the new Central 45 will look more leniently on your sentence."

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. That wasn't exactly what he'd wanted to hear. "No. I'll do it if you let me go."

"Ridiculous."

"You want peace."

The Head Captain took a step forward, his oppressive riatsu turning dark. Grimmjow resisted taking a step back. "I don't need you _that _badly."

Grimmjow kept his look even but he knew he'd just lost this fight. "Fine, I'll help."

"Good. Then you'll need to get cleaned up."

Grimmjow followed him out of the cell and to the Fourth Division. He relished in the shower and the clean clothes. Unohana gave him a quick medical exam and then he was ready to embark.

He was unimpressed when he was lead to where he thought he was meeting Toshiro. The boy was there, dressed in civilian clothes like him, but so was Rangiku, and a handful of Soul Reapers he guessed were from their squad.

"What the Hell?"

"You didn't think we were going to let you and the Captain go off by yourselves?" Rangiku raised a knowing eyebrow and he glared at her but of course they wouldn't make it that easy. His attention shifted back to the boy however, and his anger faded.

"You remember much?"

"Some." Grimmjow nodded, not wanting to have this conversation with an audience so he shoved his hands in his pockets and let a bored expression settle over his features before sighing and looking at Rangiku

"So, we going to do this or what?"

"As long as you understand you're under my command and if I think you're too much hassle I'll have you brought back here immediately."

"Fine."

She took the lead and they followed her out of the Seireitei. Grimmjow fell into step next to Toshiro.

"So, kid, how's the sword working?"

Toshiro pulled it from his back to show Grimmjow. The king saw a hint of pride in those eyes, as if he'd been waiting for Grimmjow to ask, and he knew he hadn't lost his friend even if some memories had come back. He looked it over appraisingly. "Its gotten bigger."

Toshiro grinned. "He's grown everyday since I got him back. I think he's close to being full sized now."

"I guess that's the power of a Captain."

"I guess so. The Head Captain wants me to try using my full powers once Hyornimary is completely restored."

"Full powers eh? And to think I was kicking your ass a while back."

"You don't have your full powers either remember."

"Especially now the old man's got Pantera."

Toshiro met his eyes. There was a question there, but Grimmjow couldn't read it and quickly the boy glanced away.

Grimmjow caught Rangiku watching them and she glanced away just as quickly as the boy had.

* * *

The Head Captain hadn't been lying. The people were riled and had no intention of calming down. Their task was no easy one. When they came upon crowds, Rangiku and the squad would back off and Grimmjow and Toshiro would let themselves be seen. Their sight usually brought cheers, sometimes brought silence, and other times confused murmurs. But they made the same speech over and over, and though many didn't want to hear it, others who were hurt and tired readily accepted it and that, more than anything, was what won out.

It was hard to reverse the powers of Aizen's miracles. Grimmjow himself had been supposedly healed by one and he was hard put to tell his side of the story. There were fanatics among the crowds that sometimes had to be put down by brute force when they came rushing at the pair, crazed or desperate to regain that hope Aizen had given them. It was a bitter game, for Grimmjow didn't entirely blame them.

After three weeks of this, however, the violence had come to an end. There were still many districts to visit to ensure the end to the unrest but the urgency had passed. Grimmjow knew he'd be back in the squad one cells soon enough.

Toshiro, however, had other plans. Grimmjow came awake abruptly one night in the back of the tavern where they were staying. In fact, Grimmjow was pretty sure he'd stayed here with Aizen on their grand tour of the Soul Society but after so many he couldn't be sure. A small hand pressed over his mouth and he met the teal eyes in the dark, nodding that he understood. Toshiro withdrew and motioned for him to follow.

Outside, Grimmjow tried to read the boy's features in the snowy glow of the night. Blue shadows were cast on the well trampled paths of the district and there were only a few people milling about, still intoxicated. Toshiro drew Grimmjow away from the tavern and into the protective dark of the trees skirting the houses. The small captain seemed completely fine in the freezing night but Grimmjow, born of a desert, shook slightly and had to clamp his jaw shut to keep his teeth from chattering.

"Here." The boy pressed a small object into Grimmjow's hand and he held it up, allowing his eyes to adjust and make it out in the dark.

"What is it?"

"A gift from Urahara." Grimmjow looked back to the boy. "As I understand it, it will allow you to open a Senkeimon without a Soul Reaper."

"A way out..." Grimmjow clenched the object tight and grinned. "I knew I liked that crazy bastard for some reason."

"Yeah." Toshiro smiled but it looked half hearted. Grimmjow's smile faded as he realized what this meant. He let out a long breath that shimmered in the air for a moment before dissipating.

"I take it you're not coming with me then."

Toshiro shook his head. "I don't remember much, but I do know my place is here."

Grimmjow nodded, understanding. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"No. Since I won't be opening the gate, there will be no way to tell what happened, no trace of my spiritual power."

"What about Urahara?"

"Oh don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be back in the human world soon. He wouldn't tell me the details, but I guess he knows a lot more about his past than the Head Captain is aware and he's about ready to leave."

"Don't suppose he can grab Pantera on his way out." Grimmjow sighed.

"You never know." Toshiro said hopefully. He knew this would be the only snag in getting Grimmjow to leave. He couldn't imagine leaving Hyorinmau behind. "But there's nothing we can do now, so you should just go."

Grimmjow didn't speak for a moment. "Grimmjow, if you don't go now we'll get caught." Toshiro urged, as painful as it was for him.

"Too late." The steely voice was feminine, cold. Grimmjow didn't have to look to see Rangiku's blade pointed at the back of his neck.

Toshiro's eyes widened in the dark.

"Rangiku..." He stared past Grimmjow's shoulder into her eyes. "Please..."

Grimmjow heard a sigh and then the scrape of sword against sheath. He turned to see her relax from her stance, though her face still serious.

"Tell me this can't get back to us."

"It can't," Toshiro reassured.

"Then tell me this is what you really want, Captain."

"It is."

"Fine, then make it quick."

Grimmjow nodded, and backed away. Rangiku moved to her captain's side, laying a hand on his shoulder, knowing he felt a lot more strongly about this than he was letting on right now.

"I guess this is it." Grimmjow said to Toshiro, but there was no more time and nothing else that could be spoken that wasn't already understood between the two. Grimmjow pressed the single button on the object and dropped it on the ground.

A gate sprang up into the air, somewhat different from the normal Senkeimon, but there was no time to hesitate. Grimmjow looked at the two one last time before stepping through.

The gate vanished, the night was still. Rangiku's grip on Toshiro's shoulder tightened they just stood there for a few moments, Rangiku glad that her Captain finally understood where he belonged, but Toshiro knowing life would never be as it had been.

* * *

Grimmjow emerged in a bright desert. It took a few moments to realize he was in Urahara's basement. He found the stairs and walked up into the shop. His heart was heavy as he emerged onto dimly lit streets, alone, weaponless. He held out his hand, knowing he shouldn't risk his presence here any longer, knowing he needed to open those cracks back to Hueco Mundo, but not wanting to see those unintelligent faces, those endless nights and that pretentious, hulking mass of white stone that was his palace, his dominion.

But he jerked away suddenlt and spun to meet the presence that appeared at his back.

"Hello again." The boy said, the blue blazing bow and arrow in hand. But he dropped his weapon and Grimmjow became aware of hard breathing coming from the other direction coupled with the slap of sneakers on asphalt in the quiet of the night. Ichigo came hurtling around the corner.

"Impressive." Uryu mocked. "It seems your ability to sense spiritual pressure has improved."

"Shut up." Ichigo said, coming to a panting halt.

Grimmjow stood between the two bickering teens, waiting to be addressed. Finally Ichigo's eyes landed on him.

"You're back."

"Yeah." Grimmjow said shortly.

"So Urahara got to you?"

"Indirectly. How did you know about it? In fact, last time I saw you guys, you were just as much prisoners of Soul Society as I was."

"Not really." Ichigo explained. "They just didn't know what to do with us. We've been back for a long time, actually, right after you and Toshiro went missing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, we've been back and forth. They couldn't decide where it was safest to keep us while Aizen was lose."

"But they didn't give you back your memories."

"No." Ichigo said bitterly.

"They said we were never supposed to get involved in their world in the first place, so now is our chance to go back to normal." Uryu supplied.

"I see."

"But Urahara will tell us more when he gets back. He found one of his old journals. I don't know the details, but he say's its time for him to get his friends and go home– which is here, I guess." Ichigo said, glancing back at the shop, still in sight from the street.

"Huh, he was a strange one. Do me a favour eh, if you talk to him again, let him know I'd find some way to repay him if one of those friends he brought back was my zanpakuto."

"I will." Ichigo said. "So you're going?"

"Back to Hueco Mundo, there's no where else for me to go."

"What about your memories?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Maybe I don't need them after all."

Ichigo nodded, but Grimmjow could see he knew something. He might not have had his memories restored, but this boy had learned thing in his time at the Fourteenth Barracks, and given their past rivalry, probably things about himself. But he didn't want to know. He'd lost all desire to remember that old life after what he'd gone through with Aizen, and with the Head Captain. All he knew was his old master was as good as gone, locked away in Soul Society for ever, and his only friend was there too, never again to be the boy he'd protected and who'd protected him.

He caught Ichigo watching him closely and made himself focus on the present again. Grimmjow reached out into thin air and pulled open the tear between their dimensions.

"Tell Urahara I'm coming to visit soon as I know he's back."

"Okay. See ya."

"Later." This parting was unemotional, no need for second glances, Grimmjow just cooly stepped through the abyss back to the only home he had.

Black cracks closed on an empty world. He trudged across the sand to the palace he hated, wondering if he'd have to fight to take his position back. He almost hoped he would, so he would have something to do. But when he reached the steps and saw the shocked looks on the first arrancars to see him, he knew they'd awaited his return, knew they'd been too scared to defy him. He sighed.

None dared speak to him as he marched, brooding down the halls, they just bowed and got out of his way. He didn't stop walking until he reached his destination, the throne looming up ostentatiously in the cavernous hall.

But this was all he had now. So he bitterly took his place at the head of his domain of sand and stone and hollow beings.

**END...**

**...of PART ONE**

* * *

**_Okay, not exactly a happy ending, but its only a partial ending...so stay tuned for Part II as well as a short intermission story about life in the Fourteenth Barracks. I am not sure when I will be getting to Part II but just know its on its way, perhaps Christmas break will give me some time and inspiration. Feel free to let me know if you have any ideas for the second episode. And, as always, let me know what you thought about this one! Thanks for hanging on the the "end" with me! _**

**_~Riza_**


	20. The Other Side of the Story Part I

**_The Other Side of the Story Part I–_**

**_A Three Part story following Ichigo and Uryu and life in the Fourteenth Barracks after they were captured with Toshiro and Grimmjow from Urahara's basement._**

**_(NOTE: If this doesn't interest you, at least check out the end of Part III as it will contain the lead in to the upcomming Sequel)_**

Ichigo stared amazed at the world that opened up on the other side of the strange, old-styled sliding doors that the Soul Reapers had summoned. At first he had been terrified, he'd just witnessed Grimmjow have his arm broken in a terrible, cruel way. Then the next thing all four of them were being shuffled out of the basement of the strange shop and into a whole other world.

He didn't even mind being shoved along roughly he was so lost in the ancient city that loomed upon the hill before him. There were hundreds of Soul Reapers but they moved quickly to their destination, it seemed Soifon did not want them seen. He noticed Grimmjow go limp, he'd been surprised the man had stayed conscious this long. But then their group suddenly split, the still struggling boy was hauled off in one direction and the unconscious espada in another and he and Uryu were being directed straight ahead to a building marked with a number one.

He began to feel nervous as they we pushed inside and then left to stand in an empty office all alone.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Ichigo asked catching Uryu's stony face.

"They're Soul Reapers, nothing good." He flexed his fingers. "Stick close to me, Ichigo."

"Wait, I don't think you should try anything, let's wait and see what happens, okay?"

"We'll see." Ichigo felt even more uncomfortable now but stood still and silent. They didn't have to wait long. A force, greater than anything Ichigo had ever felt, filled the room just before the door opened. He saw Uryu's shocked eyes and knew the other understood they had no chance, his hand unclenched, he wouldn't try anything now.

An old man in white robes carrying a great wizened staff of wood entered. He saw the sweat and strain placed on the two before him and lifted his powers some. Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Forgive me, it is easy to forget the fragile constitution of the living." he moved around them and to his desk where he sat, still watching them. "I am afraid I have little time to deal with you two at the moment. You were not supposed to get drawn into this but you were. I have much to do especially now that Hitsugaya has returned and that arrancar. You will have to wait."

"Excuse me _Soul Reaper_, but who are you and what say do you have in our lives? I demand you take us back to the world of the living at once!" Uryu spoke boldly and defiantly and Ichigo shot him a shocked look.

"I am Head Captain Yamamoto, the ruler of the Gotei 13, _child_." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I have not failed to notice you are a quincy. It is by my grace that I allow you to keep that token of yours." he nodded to the cross on Uryu's wrist that released his powers. "Out of respect for our alliances of the past, I will allow you freedom in your time here, but do not test my patience. I will explain what I can to you when time allows but for now you will be taken to the Fourteenth barracks."

"Wait, you just said you ruled _thirteen _squads."

"There is one other, though not a squad. It houses those who have not regained their memories yet. They were once your friends, some may have some memories of you. They have chosen to live apart from the others until their full memories are restored. And that is what I wish for you as well."

The door opened by some silent command and a pair of Soul Reapers human struggled as they were lead away.

* * *

It didn't take Ichigo long to adjust to life in the fourteenth barracks. They had a whole yard to themselves and four times as many bedrooms as occupants. He and Uryu both befriended Rukia first. It seemed natural, he couldn't explain it, but it made life easier, especially in being accepted by the hot headed Renji and his friend Ikkaku.

Lieutenant Matsumoto, or Rangiku, supervised them, though she was often absent, especially these days. It wasn't long after their arrival that she had returned, eyes red and raw, trying in vain to hide her emotions. Ichigo had been very surprised that it was Renji, who was always so brash and loud, who pulled her aside and wrapped his arms around her.

And while Ichigo had been making friends, Uryu had been gathering info. They learned much. Ikkaku was the only one with any actual memories of Ichigo but they were vague. His memories were returning out of sequence.

All of the people here were experiencing different levels of memory loss and different problems. Renji's memories seemed to have returned up to when he and Rukia joined the academy then nothing. Rukia's memories were returning chronologically but selectively, she was missing great gaps of things along the way. Some of the others were experiencing similar drawbacks. Hanatoro and Yumichika both had their full powers without memories how to use them. And then there was Youruichi, Tessai and two children, Jinta and Ururu who had absolutely no memories at all. None of them had even tried, they'd just been informed that their cases were special circumstances and would have to wait.

"There was one other with us." Yoruichi explained to Ichigo one day. "He was blonde and handsome, and but they took him somewhere else."

Uryu reported to Ichigo his suspicions about this case. He still deeply distrusted the Soul Reapers, even if he was forever training with Rukia in the yard and Ichigo suspected he had feelings for her.

But the day she was requested to help squad four and returned in tears it seemed there was no shortage of men trying to comfort her, and seeing as Renji was the strongest, he won out, scooping her up in his big tattooed arms. But from the upset, came some curious information.

"I remembered you." She said to Ichigo after she'd calmed down. Their little amnesiac family was gathered around their lunch and listened intently to her story. She had explained Grimmjow's condition, which worried Uryu and Ichigo, and made them curious about Toshiro's state, but then she began to explain how she'd seen flashes of memories.

"You were in Soul Reaper clothing."

"They said I was a substitute Soul Reaper or something."

"Well, you and I were on this street, it must have been the world of the living. And he was there, standing before us."

"Who?"

"That man in the cell, Grimmjow. He was laughing and then..." her hand went to her chest, "he nearly killed me. He put his hand right through me..."

"What?" Ichigo slammed down his mug, spilling its contents over the rest of his dinner.

"I told you they were evil." Uryu said quietly to him.

"And he saw it too." Rukia continued. "But...he didn't remember anything else and it seemed just as upsetting to him..."

"Still..." Renji balled his fist.

"Captain Unohana says we have to let the past go to move forward." Hanatoro said meekly. No one responded but Ichigo could see Rukia had already made that decision– she'd gone on to save the man's life after all. If she could move on, he would have to as well. Besides, he had been rather intrigued by the strange pair.

* * *

A short time later, Uryu and Ichigo were called away from the barracks. They had no idea why, since they didn't possess any unique powers like Rukia, but it was knowledge the Soul Reapers were after.

They crossed the short distance to Squad Twelve and then descended into the dark laboratory of countless levels both skyward and underground. At the very bottom, they were met with a most strange character, but one they quickly recognized as the handsome blond man.

"Kisuke Urahra," he said, though that's about all I can tell you." He then briefly explained that he had not been given his memories back but was still perfectly capable of fulfilling his duties as lead scientist.

"We met some friends of yours." Uryu said and the man's eyes narrowed, his voice lowered and became serious at once.

"What do you mean?"

"There are others in the fourteenth barracks who said they were brought here with a blond man, and none of them have had their memories restored either."

Beneath the fringe of blonde hair, those intelligent eyes shifted back and forth in thought.

"What were their names?"

Uryu listed them. Kisuke's eyes widened, then he rushed past them to a desk and began rifling through papers. He pulled open a drawer, dug to the very back and pulled out an old note book. He flipped through until he found what he was looking for. A smile of satisfaction spread over his face for a moment, then he covered it up and stuffed the book back in its hiding place.

"What was that all about?" Ichigo asked.

"You've brought me good news, I thank you. But I still require your help."

* * *

"They're _kids_." Grimmjow said when the reason for Uryu and Ichigo's arrival was explained. Ichigo was surprised by how good the man looked after hearing Rukia's story and all but stumbled when the arrancar clapped him on the shoulder in greeting.

"My dad's clinic remember?" Ichigo responded. "And Uryu's father owns a hospital."

"Well, then I stand corrected." Grimmjow said with not too subtle sarcasm in his voice. But it dropped when he took in the boys seriously for a moment. "What have they been doing to you?"

"Nothing." Ichigo said. "We've been staying in the fourteenth barracks, there are other people there who haven't remembered everything yet."

"Other people?"

"Okay, other Soul Reapers. I've learned a lot though."

"I believe you met Rukia Kuchki." Uryu said behind them. Grimmjow stepped past Ichigo to look down on Uryu.

"She tell you what she remembered?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"It only confirms what I've said before." Uryu replied.

"Tch." Grimmjow turned his back on the teen. "Its true though." he said after a moment. "I am an arrancar after all."

"What does it matter now?" Ichigo said, trying to lighten the mood and hold onto the words Hanatoro had spoken. "You can start over, its your chance."

"It doesn't work that way kid, the past will always catch up to you." the darkness of his words struck Ichigo but Urahara jumped in.

"Okay, well let's get started then shall we?"

Ichigo was baffled when Kisuke showed them the machine he wanted help with. An MRI– neither he nor Uryu had a clue, but that didn't stop Urahara from proceeding. Ichigo and Uryu watched rather nervously from the tiny observation room.

"So what are you looking for exactly?" Uryu asked.

"What, you don't know?" Urahara turned. "I thought you'd been briefed."

"No, we were just told that the chief scientist needed some help with human technology."

"Oh, well, its quite the puzzle actually." Urahara began excitedly. "The Head Captain was restoring some of Grimmjow's memories and they discovered that he has the shards of two zampakutos in his chest."

"Zampakutos..." Uryu said... "You mean, oh shit!" Just as the realization struck they heard the scream. "Shut it off!" he cried.

Ichigo grabbed for the handle to the door when the second scream ripped out of the man now writhing on the table and trying to push himself out of the machine.

"STOP IT!" Uryu cried. Urahara obeyed and Ichigo ran into the other room, Uryu right behind him. They yanked the table out and found Grimmjow breathing hard and clutching his chest. Ichigo was trying to steady him but the moment Urahara entered the room Grimmjow was shoving him and Uryu back and running towards the man behind them.

"What the HELL?" They heard him scream.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo roared but when he turned around he found Urahara had already gained the upper hand. Things calmed down after a few minutes and Uryu's explanation as to why the MRI was a bad idea. Grimmjow, however, took the information in a unexpected light. "This is how you can get it out of me." He said, and everyone stared in shocked silence at him.

"If we wanted to kill you, there would be much less cruel ways to go about it." Urahara responded darkly.

"No, think about it Kisuke, I have no heart, there are no vital organs there to be damaged. It could work."

No one answered, it was truly a gruesome concept but they couldn't help agreeing that it seemed a viable option. Surgery could never get all the pieces out for sure.

"I'll have to discuss it with the Head Captain." Urahara said finally. "Let's get you back to your room."

For some reason, Urahara allowed Uryu and Ichigo to wait with Grimmjow for more than an hour. It was their chance to swap info, though nothing terribly important was learned. Grimmjow had hoped for news of Toshiro but other than their story of Rangiku, they had none.

Ichigo and Uryu had to return to their barracks without knowing how well the procedure worked. But it didn't take long for news of its horrible failure to reach them.

No one in the barracks spoke when Rangiku finished her story. Her eyes were dry, but her voice was dead and cold. No one knew what to say to comfort her.

"I'm going." She said finally. "I know I have responsibilities to you all but he's out there and I can't–"

"Rangiku." Renji stood up. "Of course you have to go, we all understand. But for God's sake be careful." The rest of them agreed and all came together to hug her farewell.

"We should be helping too." Renji said as soon as she was gone, slamming his fist into the wall. "I don't care about my memories, I want to kill this Aizen bastard! Come on, who's with me?"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Everyone turned in shock at the sound of the Head Captain's voice. All the Soul Reapers dropped to their knees in respect. Ichigo and Uryu just watched stunned.

"Head Captain sir." Renji said in respect. "I wish to lend my strength to the fight."

"There is no fight, lieutenant Abarai, but a hunt, one which Captain Soifon can manage quite well on her own. But you two..." his eyes fell on Ichigo and Uryu who waited in suspense to know what judgement was being passed on them, "must return home. I can offer you no help nor information at this time, you would be better off returning to your lives. Come."

This was what they had wanted but, now, in the midst of all the drama and after having established friends, they were suddenly reluctant to follow. Uryu took the first step though, and Ichigo followed, waving his silent goodbyes back over his shoulder.

It was so abrupt. One moment the whole Soul Society was in chaos over the recent events and next they were back in Karakura. The Soul Reapers that had brought them back said nothing before returning to their world. Uryu and Ichigo just stood stunned on the street.

"Ichigo!" it was Orihme, running in their direction. What were they supposed to say about their absence? He had no time to come up with a ly and then– "What topic did you pic for your assignment? I wanted to do climate change but I was thinking it might be too hard..."

"What project?" was all Ichigo could manage.

"You know, for Geography, she handed out the assignment sheets today."

"Oh, right." He said dumbly, looking to Uryu for help.

"I'll help you if you want to do climate change, Orihime." Uryu said, a bit more smoothly.

"Oh really? Thanks a lot Uryu! Well I have to go, I'm meeting Tatsuki, see ya!" She ran off just as quickly and Ichigo and Uryu stared after her.

"Huh, I guess Soul Soceity did something to them." Ichigo muttered.

"Makes you wonder though." Uryu added and Ichigo shot him a questioning look. "How many times have they messed with our minds?"

* * *

Ichigo couldn't believe that he was actually sitting in class the next day like everything was normal. He couldn't concentrate on anything knowing the evil Aizen he'd been hearing about the last few weeks was lose, inside Toshiro's body with Grimmjow as his captive or accomplis. And he couldn't believe that they'd just dumped him back here with no promise of future explanations. He wished vainly he could call Rukia somehow, or even Urahara...

He and Uryu had just about gotten used to the fact they might never know what happened in Soul Society when, a month after their return, their lives were interrupted again.

Just before dawn, Ichigo sensed it, but Uryu was already running when the gates between their worlds opened. They met up just outside the clinic.

"Here, stay close, I can use my quincy powers to get us away." Uryu commanded, reaching for Ichigo but the boy took a step back. "What are you doing, we don't have time!"

"No, wait, don't you want to know why they're here?"

"Probably to take us back."

"Yeah, but don't you want to find out what's going on?"

"Yes, but who knows how long they'll keep us this time, or if they'll even let us go at all."

"I know you don't trust them, but you liked the others in the Fourteenth right? Don't you want to see them again?"

Uryu bit his lip.

"Even if we run, they'll find us, you know it." Ichigo insisted.

Uryu eyed him in the dark but relented. It was only a few seconds before the Soul Reaper appeared.

"Momo!" They exclaimed, relaxing a bit. They knew her vaguely from the first time they'd been brought through but she had helped out a bit around the fourteenth. They knew she was kind.

"Ichigo, Uryu, its good to see you again."

"What's happening?"

"Things just escalated, a captain was brought back near death. We aren't sure if it was Aizen or not...in any case, its getting more dangerous by the day and there is terrible unrest and rumours..." she was clearly lost in thought, and no doubt concerned for Toshiro, with whom they knew she had a past.

"Momo, why are you here then?" Uryu asked, pulling her out of her revery.

"The Head Captain needs you." She said, turning to Ichigo.

"What?"

"He says that your memories could be restored in a matter of hours, since you only lost your spiritual memory and you are so young. It would be nothing compared the centuries others have to restore."

"Then why hasn't he?"

"Because, he still agrees that you were never meant to get involved, and if he returns your memories, it would be as a last resort only. But he needs you close."

"This isn't fair." Ichigo insisted. "He can't have it both ways. If he wants to disrupt my life like this, then he better give me something in return."

"No Ichigo, it doesn't work that way. Everything he does is to protect the balance between our worlds, and that's a lot bigger than your feelings."

Ichigo was stunned by the harshness of her words, but also a bit humbled.

"I want to go with him." Uryu said finally.

"Uryu, you don't have to." Ichigo said, knowing how desperate Uryu had been to escape, and frankly, surprised.

"I know, but I'm going." Uryu repeated.

"Its alright." Momo assured. "The Head Captain said you'd probably respond this way, and he said since you're already exposed, you may come with Ichigo."

"Then its agreed." Uryu stepped forward resigned. "Let's go."

* * *

_**Well here it is, meant to get this finished last year (ie, a couple days ago) but here it is, a bit behind schedule but I really wanted to figure some things out before publishing it. The next two parts will follow shortly. And then I will be working on the Sequel when I get a chance, but I have some ideas rolling around as you will see in the last chapter of this "mini-series."**_

_**Happy 2011!**_

**_Riza_**


	21. The Other Side of the Story Part II

**The Other Side of the Story Part II–**

**_Following Ichigo and Uryu and life in the Fourteenth Barrakcs_**

It was just dawning when they arrived in the Soul Society but everyone was busy. They had either gotten up very early or had worked through the night. The tension was practically visible in the air.

"What exactly happened, Momo?"

"I don't have time to explain." She said as they were arriving at the Fourteenth, "but Renji will let you know."

They thanked her and entered. This was the only barracks that was still at rest, ss there was nothing they could do. But one was still awake, and they got somewhat of an explanation.

"Rangiku!" Ichigo whispered but it was nearly as loud as a scream in the silence. She was sitting in the main room, sipping tea. He noticed Renji asleep nearby, his arms splayed out to one side as if they had been wrapped around something. He briefly wondered what was going on between the two lieutenants but then was struck by the pallor of her skin and the tightness of her features.

"I thought you were gone..." he said not knowing what else to say.

"I was..."

"You were the one that found the captain." Uryu spoke and Ichigo suddenly made the connection.

"If I hadn't been so close behind Grimmjow and my Captain, I wouldn't have found him in time."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. It was Captain Zarakai, one of the biggest and strongest among us. And he was just laying there, almost dead. Someone had stabbed him more times than I could make out beneath all the blood..."

"When was this?" Uryu asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

"Last night."

"Oh Rangiku, I'm sorry." Ichigo stepped closer but didn't really know what to do so he just sat next to her. Uryu followed.

"Thank you. Everyone stayed up the whole night with me, it was really sweet. They just went to sleep about an hour ago."

"You should rest too."

"No." she shook her head. "Not after that." But it was more than just finding Zarakai, they knew. It was the fact she had been that close to finding her captain and then had to turn back.

"What will you do now?" Uryu asked.

"I'll go back. But the Head Captain wants a briefing of my progress so far. Everyone is searching the area where I found him, but of course, they'll be long gone by now."

There was silence for a while until Renji shifted and half woke, just enough to realize Rangiku was gone but not enough to notice the other two in the room.

"Rangiku...where are you...come back to–" His eyes went wide and a faint blush spread over his cheeks when he finally did rouse all the way and spotted the boys.

"Hey Renji." Ichigo said, not hiding his smile.

"Not you two again." Renji mock groaned.

Ichigo and Uryu knew when to make their exit, Renji might even be able to coax the woman to rest a bit so they said their good byes and went down the hall to their rooms. Once again, they found someone still awake.

"Hmm, I was going to talk to you." Uryu said, spotting the feline features of Yoruichi in the doorway of her room.

"Oh really?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Yeah, about what?" Ichigo asked.

"Shut up and come here." He drug Ichigo into Yoruichi's room and shut the door.

When they were all sitting, Uryu began.

"Momo wasn't telling us the whole truth."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked while the woman just listened in silence.

"If the risk really is this great and it would only take a few hours to restore your memories and consequently these apparently amazing powers of yours, then he shouldn't be hesitating, no matter what's natural or in the balance."

"So you're saying the threat's not real?"

"No." Yoruichi interrupted. "He's saying there is another reason he won't give you your memories back unless he absolutely has to. Just like Uryu's and just like mine."

"Exactly." Uryu nodded. "And then there is Urahara. Why was he singled out? Why is he the only one without memories who was restored to a position in Soul Society and what was with that book he had?"

"He definitely knows more than he's saying." Ichigo agreed. "But what does all of this mean?"

"First of all, we must all have an alliance greater than any allegiance to Soul Society for some reason." Yoruichi explained. "And secondly, Urahara must be way to valuable to them to lose. For some reason, the only way to keep him on their side, must be to keep him without his memories."

"So obviously Soul Society did something to him in the past to make him break his loyalty." Uryu added.

"Precisely, and my guess is that the rest of us followed him. Well, that is, the rest of us from this world, I'm not sure how you two were connected to him, but if you were his allies and remembered the truth, you wouldn't let him keep living a lie here. So all of our memories are a threat."

Ichigo had gotten completely left out of the conversation as all the deductions went flying back and forth between the other two.

"Yeah, but what about the others here?" He asked finally.

"They're all dressed like Soul Reapers. When they remember, they'll still be loyal to Soul Society and keep whatever secret their hiding."

"Even Rukia?"

"Its her orders."

Ichigo digested this.

"I told you, you can't trust Soul Reapers, Ichigo." Uryu said adjusting his glasses.

"I don't know, it all sounds like a lot of conspiracy theories to me."

The other two glared at him and he winced, waiting for a rough shove from Yoruichi but she seemed to want to preserve their cover and not make noise.

"Well, conspiracy or not, I would like someone to tell me why I keep waking up as a cat."

Both boys just stared at Yoruichi. "So, I take it this hasn't been happening to either of you?"

* * *

Despite their skepticism of Yoruichi's cat comment, they got their proof soon enough, and an easy way to get information back and forth from Urahara. In all the commotion, no one had too much concern for stray black cats.

But much of that mystery was lost to the two humans as news came almost every day about the growing unrest in the Rukongai and Rangiku went back on the search for her Captain. Renji nearly put his hand through the wall when he learned how close she'd come to being killed by Aizen and they all found out the truth that he was still in Toshiro's body and Grimmjow refused to leave him. They waited for Rangiku to return but Momo informed them she had only passed on messages, refusing to leave the hunt.

Everyone was fidgety, Ikkaku and Renji were about ready to bust out and join the hunt themselves and no one noticed Yoruichi's frequent absence.

They were in the yard one day, Renji teaching Jinta some moves, partly because he'd taken on a brotherly role with the kid and partly because he was trying to distract himself, when they felt the ripple of dark spiritual power across space.

Jinta landed a blow on Renji's shin but he didn't even notice and soon the child was frozen too.

"What is that?" He whispered. Ichigo had been sitting watching with Rukia and Uryu and they too stared out at the horizon in shock.

"He must have finally released himself from Toshiro." Rukia breathed.

"Rangiku won't ever stop now." Renji said taking a few steps away from them. Ichigo caught his eye for a moment and Rukia must have too because she jumped to her feet but it was too late. Renji couldn't take it anymore, he was off to join the fight whether he was supposed to or not.

"I have to bring him back." Rukia stated but Ikkaku grabbed her arm. "No, Renji is right." he said starring out to where his friend had gone. "Memories don't matter now, it won't be long until Aizen makes his position known, or brings the fight to our very doors. If you leave here, it should be to join us, not to bring us back."

Ikkaku let go of her and he too disappeared.

"So reckless." Yumichik sighed but didn't hesitate in following.

"Don't go." Ichigo pleaded, coming up behind Rukia.

"Don't worry, I'm not." She turned to face Ichigo and her face was set grimly. "Ikkaku is right, Aizen will bring this fight to our door, and every time one of us leaves, its spreading us thinner, so when he does arrive, we won't be equipped to handle him. So don't worry Ichigo, I'm staying right here, and when he arrives, I'm going to on the front lines with everyone else."

She pushed past him and went inside. Ichigo swallowed hard at her terrible cold words.

* * *

The day of reckoning came soon enough. Their 'family' was so much smaller and quieter since the others left. Everyone was aware that Yoruichi and Urahara were up to something but no one could bother to be too concerned, except for Ichigo and Uryu who were occasionally updated by their feline friend. But even the two stealthiest traitors in Soul Society were more invested in the events in the Rukongai than planning their own escape.

"The Head Captain will probably come for you soon." Uryu whispered to Ichigo one night they were sitting in the dark of the main room, the last to go to sleep, though surrounded by sleeping forms in the dark.

This had been happening more and more frequently as the darkness seemed to be closing in all around them: the group would sit together every night until the fire burned out and they all fell asleep. Tessai in the big chair with a child curled up on either side of him. Hanatora curled on one end of the couch, Rukia on the other. And Yoruchi, if she was around, would find someone's lap, most often Ichigo's to curl up in, in the form of a cat. Tonight he stroked her soft fur absently, usually refusing to do so because it creeped him out, but Uryu's words distracted him.

"You think?"

"If ever it was the time..."

"I want to remember. I want my memories back."

"As do I."

"You think if Urahra leaves, he'll be able to give us our memories back?"

"If Urahara leaves, Soul Society has little reason not to do it anyway. But yes, he seems very intelligent, if not strange. I'm sure he'll figure it out."

Yoruichi began purring and Ichigo didn't know if it was a sign of agreement or she was just happy he was petting her but it reminded him of what he was doing and he stopped.

"Hey Uryu," Ichigo said after a contemplative silence. "What do you think will happen to Grimmjow and Toshiro if Aizen is defeated?"

"And assuming they survive.." he tilted his head, catching the moonlight in his glasses. "Toshiro will probably be welcomed back with open arms. Grimmjow will probably be questioned and most likely meet the same fate as Aizen."

"Executed?"

"That or imprisonment for life."

"Great."

"There's nothing we can do anyway." Uryu said. The cat sneezed in Ichigo's lap but it almost sounded like a covered up laugh. They both stared down at the feline but she never opened those yellow eyes.

* * *

A few hours after they finally drifted off, some time after dawn, the crowds arrived at the gates to the city. Like she had promised, Rukia left, whith one sad look back at Ichigo and Uryu and a hug for Ururu. Hanataro too, decided it was his duty to do what he could and followed.

"Uryu..." Ichigo didn't even bother finishing though, he could see it in his friend's eyes.

"Stay here Ichigo. I'm sure the Head Captain will be coming for you anyway."

He stalked off in the direction the others had gone.

"Yoruichi, what do we do?" Ichigo said, turning to her, feeling some familiar comfort in taking orders from her.

"The Head Captain isn't coming. He must know that not even your powers are a match for Aizen, despite what happened last time."

He looked at her stunned. "What do you mean last time? What do you know?"

Her eyes flashed at him and even in the chaos a sly smile spread over her face. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. "You have your memories back?"

"Mostly."

"I can't believe–"

"No time now. Ksiuke's going to beat me there if I don't leave now."

He reached for her but she was gone and his hand closed on empty air.

"DAMMIT!" He screamed, forgetting the children. Everyone kept doing this to him and he couldn't take it anymore.

"Ichigo, you must stay here." Tessai said calmly, knowing the teen's next move.

"NO! No, I'm not sitting around here, I can't take it anymore!" he stormed out and ran into empty streets. Not until he got closer to the gates did he see any sign of Soul Reapers and they were the last to reach the battle field. He was overwhelmed by the amount of people. Every Soul Reaper in Soul Society must had been gathered in the outskirts of the Seireitei and it looked like all of the Rukongai was mobbing the gates– though Ichigo didn't understand how impossible that would be– still, it was quite an army.

And he could see the three– Aizen and his two lieutenants, but they had already split apart. He saw flames and felt overwhelming power in one direction and knew that was the main battle, and the rumour that Grimmjow and Toshiro were his willing accomplices spread quickly through the crowds but it wasn't a complete surprise, worrisome reports about their enthused participation out in the Rukongai had also filtered back to them.

"What are you doing here?" He spun at the gruff voice but nearly jumped for joy at the sight of Renji. He sputtered back the same question.

"Rangiku and I returned last night, we knew they were on their way and the best thing to do would be to regroup."

"Then where is she?"

Renji's eyes shifted. "She _ordered_ me back to the fourteenth barracks."

"And you listened?"

"She said it was left virtually unprotected and the kids are still there."

Ichigo's eyes dropped to the ground. "Tessai's there."

"Tessai's got no Zanpakuto. Come on." He grabbed Ichigo's shoulder but the boy shrugged out of his grip.

"No, I'm staying."

"You can't do anything."

"It won't really be any safer up there. I want to see what happens."

"Its okay." A third voice interjected and Uryu appeared. "I'll pull him out if it gets too harry."

Renji growled in frustration but he had to get to the barracks. "Fine, don't die." He shot off.

"Thanks." Ichigo said, relieved that Uryu was here and not getting himself killed. "What's happening?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but whatever's going on, its all going to be decided up there." He pointed to the ring of flames obscuring all sight. Then suddenly, the fire went out.

Amidst the noise of battle and nearly deafening roar of the sea of civilians, the white light and energy on the crest of the charred hill silenced everyone. All stood and stared. For Ichigo, the figures were too small to see, but the gasps and whispers rippled back through the crowds when the light stopped abruptly and all that dark energy that was Aizen's was simply gone.

Behind him, he felt rather than heard Yoruichi land and shift up to him.

"Its over, practically before it even began."

He couldn't stop staring at the hill where there continued to be movement but he couldn't distinguish anyone. Finally he turned to her.

"What happened?"

"Aizen lost."

"How?"

"They did it. The arrancar and the boy– the pair from Hueco Mundo."

* * *

**_Hope there was a little more original material in this one but if not enough, well hopefully the last chapter will satisfy you! Thanks for reading to everyone, just one more chapter!_**

_**Riza**_


	22. The Other Side of the Story Part III

**The Other Side of the Story Part III–**

Toshiro woke with something warm curled against his chest. For a moment, he just lay with his eyes closed, not wanting to face whatever reality had to offer, but to his complete surprise, it was a cozy fire-lit room and there was a black cat snuggled up to him.

"She's a stray I found in the aftermath." A soft voice said and he rolled over in the plushy sheets of his bed to see a woman in plain robes sipping tea by the fire. White bandages poked out under the folds at her chest but her features were soft and relaxed, no hint of discomfort. In fact, she was practically beaming.

"Rangiku."

"How are you feeling, Captain?" She rose a bit stiffly but came to the bed.

"Fine." He said distractedly, his eyes wandering around the room. It wasn't overly ornate, just comfortable, much more lavish than the barracks though. The walls were lined with books from floor to ceiling and he felt the urge to read them all.

"Where am I?"

"Home." She said smiling. "This is your house."

"Why are we here?"

"Squad Four is overrun with civilians who were injured, but the fighting hasn't stopped yet. More and more keep coming in. They just don't understand what happened."

"What happened..." the memories returned slowly and then he looked to her and asked the question she'd been waiting for. "Where is Grimmjow?"

"In the first division cell, but he is unharmed, trust me."

He nodded. "And you?" He asked, eyeing her bandages.

"Captain Soifon and I were thrown back by Aizen, but its nothing to worry about." She reached over and stroked the cat on the bed who purred happily then withdrew and reached for something resting next to the bed.

"Hyonrimaru." he breathed, grasping the sword. Already it was a little heavier.

"He's gotten bigger." She smiled.

"So he'll return to normal?" Toshiro asked hopefully.

"The Head Captain thinks so."

"How long has it been– that I was asleep?"

"Three days, you used a lot of power healing Grimmjow. It was quite amazing actually."

She was beaming with pride at her Captian but then her face turned serious. "You still need some rest though. And frankly so do I, so I'll get us some breakfast and then sleep." she didn't quite get up before the door opened.

"No you don't." Renji said glaring. "You told me you'd sleep if I left for a while." he scolded.

"I wanted to be here when he woke up."

The red head rolled his eyes. "Stay there and I'll bring you breakfast."

She raised an eyebrow. "_You're_ going to cook?"

"No," he said smiling, "Ichigo and Uryu volunteered."

"I'm sure they did." she mocked but stayed where she was, reaching once more to pet the cat, restraining herself from doing the same to the pillow-matted white locks of her little captain.

* * *

Ichigo and Uryu carried in the breakfast they had indeed volunteered to prepare. Rangiku returned to her chair and they took a separate tray to Toshiro. Ichigo nearly dropped it when he saw the cat.

"What?" Toshiro asked, not missing the shocked look that passed over his face.

"Nothing, I just didn't notice the cat before."

"Oh. She's a stray." he said repeating Rangiku's first words to him. Ichigo just nodded and left, though Toshiro was sure he caught a glance pass between the two humans as they went.

When breakfast was over, Renji lead Rangiku out to go to her own bed and let Toshiro drift off again. But the cat shifted against him until her wet nose was on his cheek and he flinched away. She persisted but he rolled onto his side. The cat hopped over him lightly and settled on the side of the bed not occupied. He thought nothing of it until he felt weight of the bed shift a little and his eyes shot open just as the hand clamped over his mouth.

He didn't even think he could scream even if the hand wasn't there– the purple haired, tan skinned, _naked_ woman was enough to steal his breath. He felt his cheeks go from pale to crimson and burn again her palm. The woman smiled devilishly.

"Its rude to ignore a woman in bed." she scolded. He just continued to stare at her– his eyes frimly locked on her face– until she went on. "Urahara has a gift." She said and his mind whirled wondering who she was and why she knew Urahara and what the gift might be and scared out of his mind that it might be her. "A way out for Grimmjow."

She took her hand away now, knowing that would be enough. He gasped slightly then immediately sat up to turn his back on her, letting the colour in his face drain away.

"How?"

"A device. It will open up a gate from this world to the World of the Living. Then from there, he can go back to Hueco Mundo."

"Do you have it?"

"No place for me to hide it now is there?"

The colour returned instantly. "How do we get it to Grimmjow?"

"Through you."

"They'll never let me see him."

"They are already planning to have the two of you return to the Rukon districts to help get things settled down."

"How do you know that?"

"A cat's ears hear all."

"Okay, then how do I get it?"

"Urahara is going to call Ichigo and Uryu down to the lab to help him with something. Then they'll bring it to you."

"Okay. Then why are you doing this?"

"We have our reasons, but it seems Urahara and I are just as much enemies to the Soul Society as Grimmjow, they just weren't planning on telling us. Shortly, we'll be making our own exit."

"I see. Then I thank you."

"No problem." He felt the bed shift again and then the cat was nuzzling into him. He spun and looked at it disgusted.

"You can't seriously think I'm going to let you sleep in my bed after that. What if I wake up and you-re, you-re..." He couldn't finish the sentence, threw himself into the pillows, pulled the covers up over his head and hoped the feline would have the good graces to leave on its own.

* * *

Back in the fourteenth barracks, Ichigo and Uryu were waiting for the black cat when it came strolling in.

"What was that all about?" Ichigo demanded.

"What?" the deep voice of the feline Yoruichi asked innocently.

"What have you been doing these past few days?"

"Listening, learning."

"Okay, so what were you doing with Toshiro?"

"Giving him an option."

"What the hell does that mean? Don't be so cryptic."

The cat stretched lazily and dug her nails into the carpet. "Its late, I'm going to sleep and I think I'll go to my bed tonight."

This was just enough warning for the two boys to spin around blushing and watch the dancing shadow cast by the fire light change into the shapely woman.

"Night boys," she whispered teasingly.

* * *

It seemed to the two humans that after than night, next thing they were saying their goodbyes again, being whisked back home, sat back in school and trying once more to fit back into regular life. Chad and Orihime frequently shot them worried looks in class or tried awkwardly to skirt around what was wrong but Ichigo and Uryu agreed to leave them out of it. Just like Soul Society had decided for them they were better off without their memories.

A long time later, Ichigo felt the spiritual pressure he'd been waiting for. He'd just rolled into bed but now he jumped up, pulled on his clothes and sneakers and ran down the street.

He was sweating and out of breath by the time he rounded the corner near Urahara Shoten and found Uryu already standing before Grimmjow.

"Impressive." Uryu mocked, turning to him. "It seems your ability to sense spiritual pressure has improved."

"Shut up." Ichigo retorted still trying to catch his breath and glaring at Uryu until he remembered Grimmjow and turned to him. "You're back."

"Yeah." Grimmjow said shortly.

They discussed Urahara, Grimmjow's escape and a little of the information Ichigo had about the Shopkeeper, concluding that he expected to see Kisuke and this friends any day now.

"Huh, he was a strange one." Grimmjow said looking at the night sky. "Do me a favour eh, if you talk to him again, let him know I'd find some way to repay him if one of those friends he brought back was my zanpakuto."

"I will." Ichigo said. "So you're going?"

"Back to Hueco Mundo, there's no where else for me to go."

"What about your memories?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Maybe I don't need them after all."

Ichigo nodded and watched Grimmjow shift through his thoughts for a moment. Then he snapped back to reality and reached out into thin air and pulled open the tear between their dimensions.

"Tell Urahara I'm coming to visit soon as I know he's back."

"Okay. See ya."

"Later." Ichigo waved at his back and watched him disappear.

"Well I guess that's that." Uryu said, turning to go. But the cracks had just closed when another presence flared in the world of the living.

"Was that...?

"Urahara. Come on." Uryu pulled Ichigo's sleeve in the direction of the shop and two pushed their way through the door and the empty rooms until they reached the hatch. It was already opening when they reached it.

"Well, fancy meeting you here." Urahra said. A small head appeared behind him and he reached back to take Ururu's hand and next came Jinta, Tessai and a black cat.

"That was quick." Ichigo said.

"What do you mean?" The shopkeeper asked.

"Grimmjow just came back too but he's gone again."

"Ah yes, we had to time it rather closely so Soul Society didn't have too much time to figure it out." He smiled. "But I didn't think we'd be this spot on. Too bad..." he pulled back his long white hiori and revealed Pantera, "I brought home his friend– not an easy task."

"He said he'd be back to see you."

"Well I'll be here, so long as Soul Society decides to leave me alone."

"Do you think they will?"

"We'll see."

Uryu had been silent but now spoke up. "Urahra, did you get your memories back?"

"Most, but I have a way to go."

"What about us, can you help us?"

"You two? I could have you both finished in a few hours. Give me a chance to settle in again, then come see me in a couple days."

"Great." Ichigo beamed but Urahara was serious.

"I've remembered much about you. Life as a Soul Reaper isn't easy. Make sure its what you want before we go ahead with it."

"Oh I know what I want." Ichigo said almost bitterly after having to listen to others for so long. But it subsided at once as he shook the shopkeeper's hand in thanks. He and Uryu started to leave but then Ichigo hesitated. However it was Uryu who asked the question that had just struck them both.

"What about Aizen?" the Quincy asked. "Will that seal really hold his powers at bay?"

"It doesn't have to for much longer." Urahara said darkly. "His trial was short, he was sentenced to execution."

Both humans looked to one another in shock then back to Kisuke.

"When?" Ichigo asked.

"As soon as Toshiro finishes in the Rukongai getting the people to calm down and see the truth about him."

"Otherwise, they risk making him a martyr." Uryu added knowingly.

"Precisely. But even still, I don't think the Head Captain will let him live much more than a few weeks. Everyone is on edge while he's still breathing."

Neither boy responded to this. They were uneasy too but there was a difference between executing someone and killing them in the heat of battle. Still, leaving him alive was far too dangerous.

"When you get your memories back, you'll have no doubts." Urahara said after watching the emotions on their faces. "Now go home."

"Okay, thanks." Ichigo said quietly and this time they did turn and leave. He was tired now, just wanted to curl into his sheets and forget about the spiritual world altogether but he kept picturing the execution. For some reason he could see Sokioku Hill very quickly and though he'd never been told about it, he knew without a doubt that was where the execution would take place.

"Ichigo?"

He didn't hear Uryu's call the first time, he was so lost in his thoughts, and the longer he pictured the hill, more images became clear. He saw Rukia all in white, hanging helpless, high in the sky. He saw a bird of fire flying toward her frail form, ready to devour it and leave nothing in its wake. He saw the faces of Soul Reapers, cold, uncaring, none moving to help her. And then he felt himself, fuelled by rage at those passive figures, and the desire above all else, to stop anything in the universe that would harm Rukia Kuchki.

"ICHIGO!"

He hadn't noticed that he'd fallen to his knees, that sweat soaked through his thin shirt and ran down his face. He didn't feel the explosion of spiritual pressure that burst from his body. He didn't hear the roar of hollows attracted to it. But he felt hands gripping him painfully hard on his shoulders and finally focussed on Uryu's strained face.

"Ichigo, stop! Every hollow for miles must have felt you, what's happening?"

"R-rukia." he strained past clenched teeth. "They were...going to kill her...I had to stop it..." He shut his eyes and felt his body spasm.

"Ichigo!" But Uyru was distant again, another presence was drowning out all else.

"Zan...Zangetsu?"

There was white hot pain, then darkness.

* * *

Ichigo was rolling. He had struck hard ground, skidded, then began to roll. A blunt weight smacked against his back each time until he finally stopped. He waited for the world to stop spinning but felt far too weak to move even when it did. However he knew he must have taken a pretty bad blow when he looked up and saw his own face next to him.

"Ichigo, hang on!" He heard Uryu scream a little ways away, his back to him and a blue bow in his hands. It took a second to register that his arm never stopped moving, pulling back the luminescent string time after time, killing hoards of...

"Hollows?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. He looked back to his face, still there, and looked down to find the rest of his body. But then what was he in? Was this what they call an 'out of body experience?' He looked at his hands, roughed up, but definitely his, then down further. Black. Black robes. And at his back– a sword. What was going on? He was dressed like... "A Soul Reaper!"

But even as exhilaration washed through him he felt another wave of dizziness. When it passed he looked back to his body and saw thick red blood spreading from his head.

"Oh know..." he breathed. "I'm out of my body because–"

"You're dying." Urahara's voice floated down to him. He watched unmoving as Tessai rolled over his human body and began healing it at once. Kisuke knelt next to him, only for a second, "Hang on, Ichigo. You'll be okay." And then he was off fighting with Uryu, Yoruichi right behind him.

Ichigo tried to stay conscious, but he began to slip back into the nightmare of the blazing bird rearing its maw, aiming for Rukia's small body and anger flooded him again. He was starting to blackout again. He felt strange, an oppressive sensation consuming all of him, filling everything with darkness...

* * *

Uryu dropped his arm, exhausted. The last hollow fell from Urahara's sword but he wasted no time in turning back to Ichigo. The two shop children were also there, Jinta clutching Pantera while he stood protectively before Ururu. He only relaxed when Urahara returned.

"How is he?"

"He'll make it." Tessai responded, though still working diligently. Uryu slumped next to him but stared at Ichigo's soul form.

"So he really is a substitute Soul Reaper."

"Yes. Even with no memories, some of the Soul Reapers still had their powers. Perhaps the same has been true of Ichigo all along. Still, this is odd."

"Something happened before the hollow struck him. That's what attracted all the hollows." Uryu explained.

"I felt it." Urahra nodded. "It was a massive, unrestrained burst of power."

"He said something about people trying to kill Rukia. That he had to save her."

Urahara thought this over. "I only have some memories of that time." He looked to Yoruichi.

"That's how I met him." she explained, her memories of that time clearly stronger. "We went to Soul Society to save her. Aizen had tricked them into executing her."

"RUKIA!" They all turned back to the soul on the ground and Ichigo jerked violently.

"His eyes..." Uryu began but felt a hand grip him and yank him back. Not a second later, the eyes that had turned black and yellow became only one feature in a terrifying white porcelain visage, unsettling, and similar to a hollow.

"What's happening?" Uryu said, raising an arm to shield himself from the massive spiritual force that struck them. But no one could respond when in one final burst, the orange haired boy had turned into an orange maned beast, horned, clawed, half naked and howling at the sky. Those terrible eyes landed on them for a second, then one hand reached up and tore through the air. The beast disappeared through the black cracks and the street was silent.

"Did he just...go to Hueco Mundo?" Uryu breathed, feeling the hands that were still around him finally slide off. He turned to face the shop keeper. "Urahara?"

"Yes, he did."

"Well we have to go after him!"

"There is no way. I have no means to open a Garganta."

"But..." Uryu wracked his mind for possibilities. "Grimmjow! Grimmjow will find him and bring him back." But he watched a slow pained expression form on the scientist's face. He held out a hand and Jinta passed the sword to him. He lifted the long jagged blade and held it before Uryu.

"No, Uryu. Grimmjow stands no chance against him– not without this."

Pantera reflected the blue-grey light of the moon: dull and cold, as if the zanpakuto was in fact reflecting its pain– its agony at knowing it would not be there to save its master.

* * *

_**To Be Continued in the up coming sequel **_**The King of Hueco Mundo**_**, in which Toshiro must remember how he pulled Aizen back to Hueco Mundo in order to reach Ichigo and Grimmjow in time. Meanwhile, Aizen's execution looms and something very small but very important lies lost and forgotten in the silver sands of Hueco Mundo.**_

_**Happy 2011!**_


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